Report: Mariners likely to aggressively pursue 1 major improvement

Aug 14, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Seattle Mariners hat in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners are emerging as a team likely to be very active ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

A new report from Will Sammon, Patrick Mooney, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggests the Mariners intend to be “aggressive” in trying to bolster their offense over the next month. In addition, the team does not expect money to be an issue, suggesting they could be willing to make a big addition.

They have done it rather quietly, but the Mariners are 44-33 entering play Friday and are eight games ahead of the second-place Houston Astros in the AL West. They certainly appear to be on the way to the playoffs, but are 22nd in the league in runs scored. They have been powered by their pitching, but they might need another bat to be considered serious title contenders.

The Mariners have already been linked to perhaps the biggest bat on the market right now. That situation could bear watching over the next few weeks, as Seattle does have the minor league prospects to get something significant done.