MLB Rumors: Mariners, Orioles emerge as obvious trade partners

The Seattle Mariners fell well short of expectations in the 2023 MLB season, failing to get into the playoffs after a resurgent 2022 campaign. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles went miles above preseason expectations to earn the No. 1 seed in the American League for the MLB Postseason, but were quickly dispatched in the Division Series.

Now, the two teams might be able to help one another get over the hump.

With a plethora of young talent that the Orioles are still waiting to call up to the majors, namely guys like Colton Cowser, Baltimore has widely been expected to clear out some of the veterans on the roster. Austin Hays and Anthony Santander have been floated as likely trade candidates to move, which would also hopefully land the O's some young, controllable pitching to bolster a rotation that was a bit too shaky, especially in the playoffs.

Make no mistake, Seattle wouldn't be willing to part with a Logan Gilbert or George Kirby for a veteran outfielder they could need to replace/upgrade from Teoscar Hernandez, but they still have arms like Bryce Miller, as noted by Inside the Orioles, who could be of interest for the Orioles.

It's an easy match to make between these two young, up-and-coming clubs that have big aspirations moving forward based on recent success. Don't be shocked if you see a trade involving some of these pieces materialize quickly as it's too obvious of a match for something not to transpire.

MLB Rumors: Red Sox trying to add an ace by trade or free agency

Any Boston Red Sox fan will tell you that pitching has been a severe issue for the club in recent years. It's something that has plagued the team, whether because of injuries, poor roster decisions, or just general ineffectiveness of the arms they've put on the mound.

Subsequently, upgrading the pitching staff appears to be one of the top priorities for the new head decision-maker in the Red Sox front office, Craig Breslow, who replaces the much-maligned Chaim Bloom inside the bowels of Fenway Park to try and get this proud franchise back into contention. And there are moves to make in order to potentially make that happen by adding an ace to the rotation in the 2023-24 offseason.

On Sunday, USA Today insider Bob Nightengale reported that three aces could be on the trade market this offseason: Corbin Burnes of the Brewers, Tyler Glasnow of the Rays, and Shane Bieber of the Guardians. Meanwhile, it was an easy connection for Stephen Mottram of Inside the Red Sox to make that Boston could be in pursuit of any of these three with their rich farm system and a desire to make a splash.

Beyond that, though, Jim Bowden's Top 40 free agents and possible landing spots published to The Athletic ($) connected the Red Sox to a bevy of ace-caliber arms including Shohei Ohtani (after not pitching in 2024), Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Aaron Nola, Blake Snell, and several others.

Connecting the dots, the Red Sox need an ace, they have a new pseudo-GM that will look to make an immediate impact, and there are an abundance of top-tier arms that could be had by Boston. The Sox are going hunting for an ace, and they'll have plenty of shots to bag one in the offseason.

MLB Rumors: Shohei Ohtani market could include half of baseball

Even after the elbow injury that will keep him off the mound for the 2024 season, it's the worst-kept secret in baseball that Shohei Ohtani will be the hottest commodity in MLB Free Agency this offseason.

We know well who the favorites have long been to sign Ohtani. The Los Angeles Dodgers remain in the mix as they've been posturing for the move for over a year now. The Seattle Mariners have long been a dark horse landing spot, and the New York Mets with Steve Cohen are sure to be ready to pony up the dough for the two-way superstar.

However, it seems like Ohtani's market has been growing with each passing week leading up to the offseason. Jon Heyman reported that the Texas Rangers should be a favorite now, which comes after an earlier report that Ohtani is more open to playing on the East Coast than previously thought.

Then came former GM Jim Bowden of The Athletic ($) who listed the best possible fits for the Top 40 free agents in MLB this offseason. And the list for Ohtani is extensive as it has the Dodgers, Rangers, Mariners, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Padres, Giants, Phillies and Blue Jays all listed as possible suitors for the Japanese sensation.

On top of that, Bowden predicted that Ohtani would get a 10-year, $477 million contract with incentives that would make the deal worth more than $500 million in total. That in itself is somewhat surprising given the uncertainty around his pitching after this latest UCL injury.

But we already knew that the Ohtani free agency was going to be a frenzy. The closer we get to it actually happening and with more and more teams seemingly ready to bid for his services, it seems like it's only going to be crazier.