Mariners Rumors: Seattle Scouting Mets vs Marlins Series?

It is July, which means even the most minimal amount of news gets spun out of control. Now with the Mariners planted firmly in the “buyers” category, fans are wildly speculating over largely insignificant reports.

As you might infer from context, we are talking about some Mariners “news” that is sure to have fans excited. Today’s rumor comes from Joe Frisaro, who covers the Miami Marlins for MLB.com. Earlier Tuesday morning, Mr. Frisaro tweeted this:

The last sentence in the tweet is what most will focus on. The Mariners sent scouts to watch Jacob deGrom. Before you freak out, allow me to crush your hopes: Jacob deGrom is not going to be a Mariner. They can’t afford to even be in the conversation.

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However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try. Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto loses nothing by being in the conversation. Perhaps he can work himself into the middle of deGrom deal, and get a player he can afford at a fair price.

Or perhaps the dates just happened to coincide. After all, both the Mets and Marlins have players who could be of value to Dipoto. As mentioned in the tweet, Jeurys Familia is a name that could make sense for Dipoto.

The Mets closer is the owner of a 2.54 FIP and 10.13 K/9 ratio. He is also an extreme groundball pitcher (57% in his career). Adding him to the back of the bullpen with Edwin Diaz, Alex Colome, and James Pazos could make for a lethal combination.

Familia is a rental, which is not the MO of Dipoto. However, Familia isn’t the only player in the series who could have the Mariners eye. We have already written about Asdrubal Cabrera, as well as Marlins Utility Man Derek Dietrich and RHP Drew Steckenrider.

In addition, both Steven Matz and Seth Lugo threw on Sunday. Both of these starters make infinitely more sense for Seattle than deGrom.

The Mariners are sure to be mentioned in almost any rumor regarding a starting pitcher this July. The need is there. Jerry Dipoto is the most active GM in the game. Putting 2 and 2 together, it all makes sense.

Seattle scouts being present for a Jacob deGrom start doesn’t mean much. Mariners scouts at any game are noteworthy. But chances are, these rumors won’t lead to much. Seattle is doing their due diligence. It very well could help them down the road. But today serves as a good reminder that not every rumor is a prelude to a trade.

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Seattle cannot afford Jacob deGrom. It is that simple. But are there players in that series that can help the Mariners? Absolutely.