Jeff Passan totally nails it with why Mariners must be aggressive at trade deadline

There are a dozen reasons why the Seattle Mariners need to be aggressive at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. The offense has been streaky. They still have a shot at the AL West division crown. The rotation is elite, but unsupported. 

But all of those reasons take a back seat to one undeniable truth — this season, Cal Raleigh is doing something historic. And if the Mariners don’t capitalize, they risk turning a generational performance into another footnote in a long line of “what could’ve been.”

Thankfully, ESPN’s Jeff Passan didn’t mince words. During a recent appearance on Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports, Passan put into plain English exactly what’s at stake in Seattle — and why the front office has no excuse to sit still.

Jeff Passan perfectly sums up the Mariners’ trade deadline stakes

“You don’t take years like this from superstars and waste them. Period,” Passan said.

“And I think the Mariners front office knows that. Like, we can’t ever expect a season like this from Cal Raleigh again. It’s unreasonable, right? … It’s not just the numbers. It’s the fact that we are talking about Cal Raleigh being up there with Barry Bonds, with Ken Griffey Jr., with Mickey Mantle. These are luminaries in the sport, and he belongs.

And so when you get a season like that, don’t waste it. Do everything you can, because once October comes around and once that guy steps in the batter’s box, he can do magical things.”

Bingo. That’s the message.

Cal Raleigh isn’t just having a great year — he’s authoring a season that defies logic, history, and every projection anyone had for him coming into 2025. This isn’t just a breakout — it’s a career year. 

He’s already shattered his previous career-high in home runs (34). He’s at 38, and we’re not even into August. This is unicorn territory. A season catchers simply don’t have unless their names are Johnny Bench, Salvador Perez, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez,  Mike Piazza, or, apparently now…Cal Raleigh.

Let’s be brutally honest. The Mariners cannot count on this happening again. And if it does? Incredible. But treating it like a given would be an organizational failure.

And that brings us to Arizona. The Diamondbacks are currently buried in fourth place in the NL West behind a three-headed monster (Dodgers, Padres, Giants). They are teetering toward seller status. And once they finally commit, the Mariners have a golden opportunity.

Reunion with Eugenio Suárez? That would bring some much-needed “good vibes" back to Seattle. Josh Naylor, the lefty slugger they reportedly pursued in the offseason? Also potentially available. The asking price? Young pitching — something Seattle has plenty of. Think Emerson Hancock. Maybe Logan Evans. That’s the cost. And frankly, it’s worth it.

Because the Big Dumper is doing things we’ve never seen before. And it would be nothing short of a disaster if the Mariners waste this historic run trying to patch holes with bargain bin deals.

This isn’t about just making a move. It’s about making the right move. And if they fall short because they failed to meet the moment, 2025 will be remembered as one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.