The Seattle Mariners re-added first baseman/designated hitter Kendrys Morales to the roster after trading right-hander Stephen Pryor to the Minnesota Twins, and now could be looking to bring in Starling Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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Morales, a switch-hitter, helps somewhat balance out the lefty-strong Seattle lineup, but the Mariners may not be done making moves after The News Tribune reported Seattle is targeting Marte.
Marte, a righty, re-signed with the Pirates on a five-year $31 million contract during spring training, but if the two sides get further in talks, it's possible he could be on the move before the July 31 non-waiver MLB trade deadline.
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The Pirates have a glut of outfielders and even optioned Jose Tabata to Triple-A, so it is possible they could make a move. Pittsburgh has reportedly been very interested in Seattle pitcher Taijuan Walker and two Tacoma infielders, Nick Franklin and Chris Taylor, though it's unknown if Seattle would include any of them in a deal.
Marte, 25, is having a subpar season, hitting .255/.328/.385 while adding five homers and 34 RBI as the Pirates battle in a highly-competitive National League Central division that has four teams vying for the lead while the Chicago Cubs sit in fifth place.
The Pirates enter Thursday with a 54-47 mark and are in second place, 2.5 games behind Milwaukee while they are just a game out of a wild-card spot.
The Mariners (53-48), meanwhile, are tied with the Yankees (53-48) and Blue Jays (54-49) for the final wild-card spot in the American League.
It remains to be seen if a deal will be completed, but given Seattle's need for right-handed bats and their recent move to acquire Morales, anything is possible.
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