Jeff Passan just named an intriguing new trade deadline possibility for Mariners

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching and the Seattle Mariners currently in possession of a wild card spot, the pressure to get meaningful help at the deadline is gradually building. This is always a hectic time of year for any major league front office, but Seattle has more at stake than most clubs after consecutive narrow postseason misses.

The roster is far from perfect and could use help in several places, which may be why there have been talks linking the Mariners to all sorts of players, from heavy-hitting sluggers to a lights-out reliever making it work in some unexpected places.

ESPN MLB insiders Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan recently published a list of their top 50 trade deadline candidates and their potential new homes. In addition to the usual suspects like Josh Naylor and Ryan O'Hearn, Marcell Ozuna was floated as a possible target for Seattle.

Marcell Ozuna could be the perfect trade deadline addition for the Mariners

A few weeks ago, we mentioned that Ozuna would be a fit for this team at least on paper, largely due to his offensive consistency over the past few years. Over the last two full seasons, he has made 1,280 plate appearances and posted a 147 OPS+.

This year, he seems to have been struggling with lingering injuries and a flawed approach, but he's still at a respectable 121 OPS+. His quality of contact isn't quite as good as it was last year, but he still hits the ball hard and walks at a ridiculous 16.9 percent clip.

For the Atlanta Braves, this season is seemingly all but over. While the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets have been going toe-to-toe for domain over the NL East, the Braves are already at a deficit of 9.5 games within their division and are 6.0 games off the pace for the last NL Wild Card spot. With Chris Sale's recent injury, it may be nearly impossible for Atlanta to claw their way back into contention, setting them up as one of this year's most important sellers.

For Seattle, Ozuna would be a perfect short-term rental. Set to hit free agency at the conclusion of this season, the team has full optionality over what they choose to do with him at the end of the year. The team hasn't had the greatest production out of the designated hitter role as Jorge Polanco regresses closer and closer to being a league-average bat and Mitch Garver still failing to recreate the success of his 2023 season.

Recent rumors have also suggested that the front office has been in negotiations to pursue other talent at the position, so don't be surprised if the Mariners make a big splash at DH to round out the roster.