Mariners Are Creating a Trade Deadline Mess by Letting the AL West Stay Alive
Mariners Are Creating a Trade Deadline Mess by Letting the AL West Stay Alive
The AL West was there for the taking, and the Mariners are making it weird.Tremayne Person|
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Seattle MarinersThe Mariners opened the season as the favorites to win the AL West. But why does it feel like they’re treating it like a dare? They’re somehow still in first place after dropping their last series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, putting their record back to .500 at 41-41. The M’s have somehow turned what should have been a chance to take control of the division into one of the weirdest races in baseball.
They aren’t getting buried by a powerhouse. Nor are they chasing a runaway monster. In fact, they should be the monster. And instead of stepping on the gas, Seattle has spent the last couple of weeks leaving the door open, holding it there, and inviting the rest of the AL West to walk through it.
Here’s where the division sits:
- Mariners: 41-41, .500, 1st place, 4-6 in their last 10
- Astros: 39-43, .476, 2.0 games back, 6-4 in their last 10
- The Athletics: 38-42, .475, 2.0 games back, 3-7 in their last 10
- Rangers: 38-42, .475, 2.0 games back, 4-6 in their last 10
- Angels: 34-48, .415, 7.0 games back, 5-5 in their last 10
This should quickly be a warning label. The Astros are two games back despite being four games under .500. Letting a group of teams hang around this long is exactly how they start believing. And believing is a dangerous place to be with the trade deadline around the corner.
The Mariners Are Making the Trade Deadline Harder Than It Needs to Be
This is where the problem gets bigger than one ugly offensive stretch.
If Seattle had actually built a cushion, the deadline conversation would be cleaner. The Mariners could look at the roster and add with purpose. They could act like a first-place team that knows exactly what it needs.
Instead, they are helping create a division where the Astros, the Athletics, and Rangers can all talk themselves into buying.
It was easier when Houston looked like a possible seller. It was an easier conversation when there was a fantasy about the Astros maybe moving Yordan Alvarez out of the division. Even if it was always a long shot. But the Mariners haven’t buried Houston. They haven’t buried anybody.
Now the Astros, the Athletics, and the Rangers are two games back. And it could absolutely change the deadline market.
Seattle’s Offense Is Turning First Place Into a Red Flag
The Mariners haven’t scored more than three runs in their last 11 games. And they are 4-7 in that stretch. You can call it a rough stretch all you’d like, but that’s beyond a cold spell. It’s an offensive identity crisis.
Their batting average has hovered around .231. The strikeouts remain a problem. And they’re going through yet another power outage at the worst possible time. During this same 11-game June slide, Seattle hit only seven home runs. And as we know, this is a team that survives off the long ball.
And sure, there are explanations. Cal Raleigh has dealt with injury and timing issues. Randy Arozarena has been in and out. Julio Rodríguez has had his own physical concerns and frustrating stretches. The lineup has not been whole, and it has not been consistent. All of that is fine. But at some point, the scoreboard doesn’t care. And weren’t the Mariners built to be more balanced than this anyway?
Adding Brendan Donovan was supposed to help clean up the contact issues, but he’s only played 1/3 of the games. Instead, we are still watching too many empty at-bats, too much chase, and too many innings that end before they ever really begin.
So, let’s talk truth: The Mariners are not acting like a team trying to end the division race. They are acting like a team comfortable letting it get weird. A team that’s used to chasing and not really sure what to do when they’re the ones being chased.
That is a dangerous game, especially in this division. The Astros have lived off second chances for years. They embarrassed the Mariners in 2024 when they erased a 10-game deficit in just 24 games. The Rangers have enough recent winning credibility to talk themselves into being aggressive. And the Athletics are close enough to be annoying. Even if the Angels are further back, they are not buried enough to make the standings feel completely clean.
Seattle should have made this simple. Instead, the Mariners are creating the exact kind of mess they had the talent to avoid. They still have time to fix this. They are still in first. But they are making this harder than it needed to be.
Published 12 hours ago
TREMAYNE PERSONTremayne Person is the Publisher for Mariners On SI and the Site Expert at Friars on Base, with additional bylines across FanSided’s MLB division. He founded the Keep It Electric podcast in 2023 and covers baseball with a blend of analysis, context, and a little well-timed side-eye just to keep things honest. Tremayne grew up a Mariners fan in Richmond, Va., and that passion ultimately led him to move to Seattle to cover the team closely and become a regular at home games. Through his writing, he connects with fans who want a deeper, more personal understanding of the game. When he’s not at T-Mobile Park, he’s with his dog, gaming, or finding the next storyline worth digging into.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
