Mariners fans will be pleasantly surprised at Jerry Dipoto's trade deadline comments

The Seattle Mariners are teetering on the edge of playoff relevance. Hovering around .500, they remain a team in flux — capable of looking dominant in one series and completely disjointed in the next.

But if there’s one thing they reminded everyone with their recent sweep of the Cleveland Guardians, it’s that there’s still life in this team. After stumbling out of the gate in June, the Mariners have started to show signs of revival. Still, it can’t be ignored that this team needs help.

And in a surprising twist, Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto didn’t bother to play coy about that reality.

In a “Trident Talk” segment aired Sunday morning on Seattle Sports, Dipoto acknowledged what fans have been hoping to hear: Reinforcements could be on the way, and they might arrive sooner than expected.

Jerry Dipoto drops hint that the Mariners could strike early at the trade deadline

“We’re finding out that, like we expected, there’ll be teams that are looking to move early,” Dipoto told Mariners broadcasters Aaron Goldsmith and Gary Hill Jr. “As we’ve shown in the past, we’re kind of an early mover. Once we decide what our need is, we don’t mind being the first team to move.”

That kind of transparency is rare from an executive — especially in June, when most front offices remain tight-lipped and default to vague “wait and see” language. Dipoto has decided to  go the other way. And honestly, good for him.

He continued, citing the organization's strength in prospect capital and its readiness to act:

“We feel like we’ve got one of the deepest farm systems in the league, we have obvious needs that are starting to clarify, and this is an area where we’ve not been particularly conservative — how we deal in July at the deadline.”

Dipoto has a well-earned reputation for acting early. Most notably in 2022, when he landed first baseman Carlos Santana from Kansas City in a quiet-but-crucial June deal. He followed that with the blockbuster acquisition of Luis Castillo from Cincinnati. Even last summer, Dipoto moved swiftly, acquiring outfielder Randy Arozarena from Tampa Bay on July 25 — days ahead of the deadline chaos.

In other words, Dipoto doesn’t wait for the market to set itself. That’ll be especially important this year. The Mariners’ needs (particularly on offens) are glaring. And with injuries thinning their pitching depth, there’s no time to play the waiting game. The American League playoff picture is too crowded, and the opportunity to strike early and gain an edge will be crucial.

So if Dipoto’s comments felt a little jarring in their directness, they were also refreshing. This isn’t a front office operating in denial. It’s one that may very well be gearing up to act.