The Seattle Mariners‘ list of free-agent targets is quickly shrinking.
According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick, Seattle was interested in Victor Martinez recently and Billy Butler leading up to the trade deadline, but those two players signed in the early weeks of free agency. Confirmed on Tuesday, Hanley Ramirez also agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox after Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the Mariners were “aggressively pursuing” Ramirez two weeks ago.
It appears that Seattle will have to turn to the trade market to address its needs in the outfield or DH. Still, the Mariners must avoid making any desperate decisions, as there are still a few free agents available who could help the team.
Nelson Cruz is the most likely free-agent addition, while others have longer odds to come to Seattle.