Mariners Rumors: Yankees stand between Seattle and reunion with Eugenio Suárez

With the MLB Draft and All-Star festivities now in the rear-view mirror, all eyes are on the July 31 trade deadline. The Seattle Mariners front office has made its intentions clear, but they're not the only team hoping for big upgrades this year.
For teams seeking position player depth, the options aren't the most alluring. But one man is poised to receive most of the spotlight.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, Eugenio Suárez could be the most sought-after bat and for good reason. He's sitting at a 147 OPS+ with 33 home runs and 3.3 rWAR over his 399 plate appearances. The Mariners have been rumored to be in the running because of his recent success as well as his personal past with the organization, but they'll have some stiff competition to deal with.

The Mariners may have to beat the Yankees to Eugenio Suárez

Olney also named the New York Yankees as an interested party. Since Oswaldo Cabrera's injury that he sustained in Seattle, the Bronx Bombers have been primarily relying on Oswald Peraza and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to handle the hot corner. However, although Chisholm has been a key contributor to the Yankees this season, he's primarily their second baseman, leaving Peraza to hold the top spot in the depth chart.

Unfortunately for New York, Peraza's offensive contributions have been more detrimental than beneficial, posting a 26 OPS+ over his 162 plate appearances this year. For them, Suárez would be a more affordable option than Alex Bregman to hold them over until Cabrera returns to full health.

Luckily, current circumstances give the Mariners a leg up when it comes to negotiating power. Unlike free agency, trade deadline transactions are made based on prospect quality rather than contract size. Seattle has some of the best prospect talent in baseball within their farm system and the recent draft has only made their prospect collection even better. The Yankees, on the other hand, were ranked as having the 24th-best farm system in MLB earlier this year.

Still, even if Seattle does have plenty to offer, there's no guarantee that they'll actually be willing to put real pieces on the table. Depending on their desperation, New York could win out purely based on their willingness to sacrifice future success to win now. Even if the Mariners decide to be more conservative with what they pay for talent at this year's trade deadline, they could still have enough to fit the Diamondbacks' most pressing needs.

If the Mariners instead allow themselves to be outbid for the services of Eugenio Suárez, it could be the second time they've botched an opportunity to have him around.