The Seattle Mariners have been mentioned as a team that could be a fit for Juan Soto should the Washington Nationals decide to trade the superstar outfielder at the MLB trade deadline. However, it seems that the Mariners are not only out on a Soto pursuit but also another superstar as well.
Seattle Mariners trade rumors: Don’t count on a MLB trade deadline deal for Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani
According to Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, Seattle has checked in on the possibilities of acquiring Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani. However, it seems that any talks about a megatrade for one of the superstars has ceased … for now.
The #Mariners checked in on both Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani according to Jerry DiPoto GM and did their due diligence but didn't get the sense there was a pathway for the Mariners to make a deal for either one of them.
— Jim Bowden⚾️🏈 (@JimBowdenGM) July 31, 2022
Of the two, Soto was the more likely of the two to make his way to the Pacific Northwest. The Mariners have been listed as one of the teams that could have the resources to swing a trade for Soto. However, some of those resources went to the Cincinnati Reds in the recent deal that brought starting pitcher Luis Castillo to the Mariners.
The probability of the Angels trading Ohtani to a division rival was slim at best, knowing that any move involving Ohtani will likely not be popular with Angels fans, and seeing him return to Anaheim so often with a division rival would only add salt to those wounds.
Dipoto will likely continue to explore trade options for the Mariners as they look to return to the postseason for the first time since 2001. Those options, however, won’t include a pair of names creating a lot of buzz at the MLB trade deadline.