Red Sox's miss on Alex Bregman could create problems for Mariners in AL West

While teams in other divisions have been busy snapping up free agents on massive contracts, the teams in the AL West have all had a pretty mellow offseason. The Mariners' Josh Naylor contract is the most significant free agent move within the division, followed by the Astros' signing of Tatsuya Imai. The Athletics, who rarely spend money on free agents anyway, maintained the status quo by choosing to extend Tyler Soderstrom instead. The Angels and Rangers haven't signed any deals longer than two years.

When it comes to trades, the Rangers did send Marcus Semien to the Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo, but this was hardly a roster upgrade and more of a sidegrade. Meanwhile, Seattle traded away Harry Ford, perhaps somewhat prematurely, and could be on the brink of striking another deal with the Cardinals. It seems like the Mariners may come away as the winners of the offseason, but an old rival could still steal the top spot.

After losing Alex Bregman, the Red Sox have expressed interest in trading Jarren Duran in exchange for Isaac Paredes

In a recent article for The Athletic, Jen McCaffrey discussed some of the fallout from the Red Sox losing Alex Bregman to the Cubs in free agency. Aside from pivoting to signing Ranger Suárez to a five-year, $130 million contract, they may also be looking to bolster third base. The team currently has Romy González at the top of the depth chart despite primarily being a second baseman throughout his career.

In the absence of appealing free agent options, Boston has now turned to the trade market to fill their needs and they have their eyes on Houston's Isaac Paredes. He played just 102 games last year but posted a 128 wRC+, third amongst third basemen with more than 400 plate appearances. For Boston, the appeal is obvious and for Houston, the possible return is just as enticing.

"Meanwhile, Houston would jump at a chance to acquire Duran in exchange for Isaac Paredes. Though Paredes has decent power with a 115 OPS+ in his career, his defense is below average, so that might be less enticing."

Jen McCaffrey

Paredes doesn't currently have a role on the Astros roster. After Houston brought back Carlos Correa and slotted him in the hot corner, the team has been actively trying to trade Paredes. Similarly, the Red Sox have four outfielders vying for just three spots, and Duran has the greatest trade value out of all of them given his upside and remaining control.

If a deal gets done, both teams will get better but it's the Astros that the Mariners will have to compete against more frequently, both in head-to-head matchups and for the AL West title. A more competitive Houston roster can only be bad news for Seattle and even rumors of a possible deal going down should be what the front office needs to stay aggressive through the remainder of the offseason.

It took nearly a decade for the Mariners to climb out of the shadow of the Astros. Will Seattle allow history to repeat itself, or will they make the roster moves necessary to establish their own reign over the division?