ESPN's Jeff Passan Expects Surprise Team to Be Aggressive at Trade Deadline

With the second half of the 2025 MLB season set to get underway, teams are assessing their approach for the upcoming trade deadline, weighing out whether it's worth it to get aggressive in hopes of competing for a World Series.

One team that ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan reports is expected to be aggressive, rather unusually so, is the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners have enjoyed a strong start to the season, thanks largely to their grade-A pitching staff and the utter dominance of AL MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, who leads MLB with 38 home runs at the break.

During an appearance on Seattle Sports radio's "Brock & Salk," Passan alluded to one key reason he thinks Seattle will, or at the very least should, take an aggressive approach to trade the deadline.

"I think the Mariners are going to be aggressive. And I think they should be," Passan said. "You don't take years like this from superstars and waste them. Period. And I think the Mariners front office knows that. Like, we can't ever expect a season like this from Cal Raleigh again. It's unreasonable, right? It's not just the numbers. It's the fact that we are talking about Cal Raleigh being up there with Barry Bonds, with Ken Griffey Jr., with Mickey Mantle. These are luminaries in the sport, and he belongs.

"And so when you get a season like that, don't waste it. Do everything you can, because once October comes around and once that guy steps in the batter's box, he can do magical things."

As Passan pointed out, a single, well-timed swing of the bat from Raleigh could be the difference between winning games in October and losing them. When you have a player who makes that much of an impact, both as a slugger and as a world-class catcher, it would be a disservice to the fan base not to put forth everything towards winning a title.

The Mariners don't often spend big. They were tame during free agency this offseason, which drew the ire of former Seattle infielder Justin Turner. While they've made some big mid-season splashes in recent years, including acquiring Luis Castillo in 2022 and Randy Arozarena in '24, that type of deal should only set the tone for what the Mariners accomplish at this year's deadline.

This year may well be the Mariners' best shot at a championship, something the franchise has still never achieved in its 48-year existence, and failing to make upgrades at the trade deadline to help achieve that goal would be a significant letdown.

More MLB on Sports Illustrated