MLB-NEWS: According to ESPN, the Seattle Mariners have officially signed Boston Red Sox star third baseman to a four-year, $179.4 million contract. following that……

MLB insider reports on Mariners’ trade pursuits

With a struggling lineup and a bullpen that’s been hampered by injuries, the first-place Seattle Mariners certainly have some clear needs to address ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Big Game Hunting: Two splashy potential Mariners trade targets

According to one MLB insider, that process is already underway.

“The Mariners already have begun talking with teams about possible trades, with the deadline exactly one month away,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi posted Sunday morning on social media. “For now, Seattle’s focus is an everyday bat and bullpen help.”

The Mariners currently sit atop the American League West at 47-38, holding a 4.5-game lead over the second-place Houston Astros and a nine-game lead over the Texas Rangers. Seattle has built that lead with its elite starting rotation, which leads the majors with 50 quality starts and ranks fourth with a starting pitching ERA of 3.41.

However, the Mariners’ exceptional starting pitching has been contrasted by an offense that sits at or near the bottom of the majors in nearly every major statistical category. Seattle ranks 27th in runs per game (3.87), dead-last in batting average (.218), 25th in on-base percentage (.298), 26th in slugging percentage (.366) and 26th in OPS (.664). The Mariners also have the highest strikeout rate at 27.9%, which is 1.6% higher than the the next-closest team.