MLB insider: Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners GMs on hot seat, impact on trade deadline plans

The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball this season, heading into MLB games today with the third-worst record in the American League. Now viewed as a potential seller at the MLB trade deadline, there is growing uncertainty regarding the future of general manager Mike Elias.

According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, executives around LB believe that Elias is among the two decision-makers “under the most pressure” heading into the summer. Many are watching Baltimore particularly closely because while they’ve expected the Orioles to operate from the mindset of being a seller, Elias is looking for front-line pitching.

Elias isn’t the only top decision-maker in baseball believed to be on the hot seat. MLB executives also named Seattle Mariners‘ president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto as someone whose job could be on the line this summer. Mariners’ ownership is reportedly now willing to increase payroll, paired with a strong farm system, giving Dipoto all the incentive to acquire a middle-of-the-order bat.

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Seattle is certainly better positioned to contend than Baltimore as of now. The Mariners are second in the AL West, but their run differential (-8) is 9th in the AL. Since hiring Dipoto in 2015, Seattle has made the playoffs just once and it got swept out of the AL Division Series in 2022.

With both Elias and Dipoto seemingly having their jobs at stake, the Orioles and Mariners are two clubs that will be monitored very closely leading into late July. If both teams continue to perform at the levels they have, Seattle could be one of the most aggressive buyers, whereas Baltimore’s roster will make it one of the most attractive sellers in baseball.

MLB Rumors: Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants eyeing pair of National League sluggers

The San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners find themselves in the playoff hunt as the summer approaches, positioning them to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline. While no deals are imminent, it does appear that Seattle and San Francisco are eying a pair of hitters in the National League.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Mariners and Giants” are keeping a close eye on Arizona Diamondbacks‘ first baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suarez. While Arizona hasn’t signaled a willingness to be a seller at the MLB trade deadline to this point, they are reportedly getting a lot of calls.

Naylor, a left-handed hitter, would be a particularly strong fit for San Francisco. Entering MLB games today, the club’s first basemen rank 22nd in OPS (.649) and 26th in batting average (.211) at the position. Meanwhile, the Giants lineup ranks 25th in batting average (.233) and 23rd in slugging (.376) through 71 games.

There’s another appealing factor with Naylor for San Francisco. The 27-year-old is in a contract year – $10.9 million salary in 2025 – meaning the path for Giants’ top prospect Bryce Eldridge to play first base in 2026 wouldn’t be blocked. The acquisition cost for Naylor should also be lower because he’s a half-season rental.

Suarez, making $15 million in his contract year, could provide a powerful right-handed bat to the Mariners’ lineup. In 69 games played this season, Seattle’s third basemen have produced a .617 OPS (22nd) with 2 home runs (28th) and 21 RBI (28th).

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Eugenio Suarez stats (ESPN): .824 OPS, 20 home runs, 55 RBI, .231/307/.517 in 255 ABs

The Mariners also have plenty of familiarity with Suarez. From 2022-’23, he posted a .234/.327/.423 triple-slash line in Seattle, compiling a .751 OPS with 53 home runs and 183 RBI in 312 games played. For a club that wants to challenge the Houston Astros for an AL West crown, Suarez could be a significant difference-maker for a lineup in need of more sources of run production.