All signs point to Mariners in Ken Rosenthal's Seiya Suzuki trade pitch for Cubs

We might still be nearly two months away from the trade deadline, but it's never too soon to consider potential targets. Especially when you're the Mariners, who will almost definitely be in the market for players who can boost their World Series ambitions. And one intriguing option might be available in Chicago, at least according to Ken Rosenthal.

The Athletic's senior baseball writer believes the Cubs should trade Seiya Suzuki, citing the dire need to bring in a starting pitcher. There's the additional incentive that the 31-year-old could depart as a free agent, meaning the organization would only receive draft pick compensation. (Assuming they make him a qualifying offer.) Instead, Rosenthal suggests why not trade him and obtain something more valuable in return?

This leads to the natural question of how many clubs have excess starting pitching? Well the answer is basically none, with the exception of your Seattle Mariners. And from where we're sitting, there's a lot to like about the possibility of adding Suzuki to the lineup, not least getting a much-needed right-handed bat.

Sure, the five-time NPB All-Star hasn't been quite as effective as usual with his bat compared to his previous four seasons in the majors. However, we're still talking about a player with a career .812 OPS, 128 OPS+ and 125 wRC+. And in fairness, he's rounding into form after starting the season on the Injured List with a right knee sprain suffered during the WBC, as well as having a horrendous May.

Seiya Suzuki offers more than just a much-needed right-handed bat to the Mariners

It's also interesting to note Suzuki is projected to set a new career-high in bWAR despite missing 14 games. This is because, aside from rediscovering his mojo at the plate, he's having a tremendous season in right field. The arm strength's always been there, but the Japan native's having a career year defensively in general, ranking in the 89th percentile for his overall Fielding Run Value.

As for who the Mariners could send to Chicago, Luis Castillo makes a lot of sense. "The Rock" has been pitching better of late, and would provide the Cubs with a decent starter pitcher for the rest of this season and 2027. As for the Mariners, they would ease the logjam to an extent, particularly important considering Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan are progressing even faster than was hoped/expected.

There is of course the financial implications to consider, with Castillo being owed the balance of $24.15 million for 2026 and the full amount for next season. By comparison, Suzuki is owed the remainder of $19 million this year before free agency. As such, money would be involved in any trade, and perhaps the Mariners could pitch in Luke Raley or Dominic Canzone to balance things out.

Even if both teams do agree to terms, one final thing to consider is that Suzuki has a full no-trade clause. He'd have to sign off on any potential trade, although you'd like to think he'd accept a trade to a genuine World Series contender, and with the bonus of regular interactions with his namesake, Hall of Famer and Japanese baseball legend, Ichiro Suzuki.

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