ESPN MLB Insider Says Seattle Mariners Trade Target is 'Going to Draw a Lot of Attention'

Earlier this week, ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan described Baltimore Orioles' first baseman Ryan O'Hearn as the ideal trade target for the Seattle Mariners this summer.

Despite sweeping the Mariners this week, the O's are still 25-36 and 7.5 games back in the wild card race, so they could become sellers. O'Hearn is hitting .326 with nine homers, 23 RBIs and a .411 on-base percentage. Seattle has gotten subpar production at first base from Rowdy Tellez, Donovan Solano and Luke Raley.

Speaking on Thursday's edition of the Refuse to Lose podcast, ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney had this to say:

So ​what ​I've ​heard ​from ​general ​managers ​this ​week ​is ​that ​there's ​not ​really ​that ​much ​conversation ​going ​on. ​Actual ​teams ​that ​are ​out ​there ​saying, ​'hey, ​we're ​ready ​to ​move,' other ​than ​the ​teams ​that ​are ​clearly ​in ​rebuild ​mode: ​Miami, ​Colorado, ​the ​White ​Sox. ​The ​problem, ​though, and ​I've ​heard ​this ​from ​so ​many ​executives, ​they ​feel ​that ​those ​teams ​that ​are ​sellers ​now ​really ​don't ​have ​that ​much ​to ​offer. ​

So ​everyone's ​waiting ​for ​a ​team ​like ​the ​Diamondbacks ​to ​declare ​themselves. ​They've ​been ​a ​big ​disappointment ​so ​far. ​The ​Orioles ​clearly ​have. ​The ​Red ​Sox ​are ​an ​interesting ​team. ​​I ​agree ​with ​Jeff...And ​the ​Orioles, ​while ​they've ​had ​a ​couple ​good ​days ​against ​the ​Mariners, ​they're ​still ​way ​behind ​the ​pack. They ​don't ​really ​have ​a ​lot ​of ​pitching. ​It ​would ​make ​​sense ​at ​some ​point ​if ​they ​become ​sellers. ​And ​Ryan ​O'Hearn ​is ​going ​to ​be ​a ​guy ​who ​absolutely ​is ​going ​to ​draw ​a ​lot ​of ​attention ​in ​the ​sport, ​and ​he ​would ​be ​a ​perfect ​fit ​for ​the ​Mariners ​and ​what ​they ​need ​and ​what ​they ​want. ​But ​I ​don't ​believe ​at ​this ​moment ​that ​those ​are ​active ​conversations ​going ​on ​with ​the ​Orioles ​and ​other ​teams.

You can hear the full interview with Olney in the player below.

The Mariners will play the Angels on Friday night at 6:38 p.m. PT.