Casey at the Bat | M's Deadline Dilemma Part 1: Russell Branyan

The Mariners are in a precarious situation. They are four games over .500 and four games out of first place in the American League West. It has put them into the gray area of teams that are neither buyers nor sellers approaching the trade deadline. The Mariners have several players for whom they are at risk or receiving no compensation if the player is to leave, and have reached the peak of their trade value in all likelihood. They also have players who are young, and in the years where their potential, however unfulfilled, has kept their trade value at a high point. They also face a dilemma when targeting players. Young, pre-free-agency players will require the M’s to give up a lot more compensation than a proverbial “rent-a-player,” while many such players can be had for little compensation in an uncertain economy. Local outlets have called for the Mariners to be both buyers and sellers, a team that essentially shuffles players around, adding to roster turnover, ...