Jeff Passan believes Mariners have big offensive addition looming at trade deadline

I think Mariners fans everywhere are asking for the same thing. For the team to make a big addition, via an offensive weapon, sometime before the trade deadline. The earlier the better, if we can be selfish about it, as this offense needs a jumpstart. Hopefully it happened during the Angels series, but it would be nice to see... well, more of that.

According to Jeff Passan over at ESPN, he thinks that it's going to happen. Not that it could, not that it might, but that it will.

"Robert, Alonso, and especially Guerrero and Bichette, if available, all will be in play for the Mariners, and the question isn't whether they're going to add offense. It's whom they're going to add."

- Jeff Passan, ESPN

This hits a bit differently hearing something like this from Passan. He usually has a pretty good ear to the ground for rumors and the goings on in baseball that we don't hear about daily. He's usually on top of things, so I believe him when he says "...the question isn't whether they're going to add offense. It's whom they're going to add".

Jeff Passan has the Mariners adding a big bat to their offense

Now, could that be as big as one of the names that he lists there? We've talked about some of them so far this season, looking a little bit at Vladimir Guerrero Jr as well as Polar Bear Pete Alonso. We will have articles out on more specific deals on what it would actually take to get them as the deadline approaches, as well as ones on Robert (although reports have him as unlikely to be moved) and then Bichette as well.

The fact that Passan is throwing the Mariners in there with the biggest available names should be a welcome sign for any fan of the M's. Dipoto and Hollander might not even go after one of those four, but instead another big name who is off-the-radar a bit, as they've been known to do in the past e.g. Luis Castillo.

Each one of those players mentioned fits in line with the gaps in their lineup that the Mariners are looking to fill. Ty France has been stepping it up at first base, but if the Mariners can find a real threat there i.e. Vlad or Pete, it would be hard to turn it down. You could always move France to DH, as he is still a better option than Garver.

Bichette would strengthen the Mariners' infield, although you run into a position conundrum, as he has only played shortstop. Do you move JP to second? Bichette to second? Bichette to third? It seems more of a make the move now and figure it out later, all the while hoping that Bichette starts hitting like he did in the past, and not the poor numbers he's been putting up this year.

As for Robert, it should be obvious that he would fit in the outfield on this team. Haniger can't field, and is on pace for a -2.5 dWAR this season. The issue with a lot of these names that are being thrown around is the fact that they are having down years on teams that are struggling. Is this going to cause those teams to hold on to them, hoping to re-sign them? Or just throwing the QO at them? Or as the case for non-Polar Bears, wait until next year to see if they improve?

Time will tell, but one thing is for certain. The Mariners are going to go after a big bat at the deadline, and as Passan says, "the question isn't whether they're going to add offense. It's whom they're going to add".