Three Underrated Storylines to Watch For Seattle Mariners in Second Half of Season

The Seattle Mariners kick off the second half of the season on Friday night with a monster three-game series against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park.

Seattle enters play at 51-45 and in possession of the third and final wild card spot in the American League, and they are also just five games back of the Astros, with a great chance to make up ground.

Cal Raleigh's pursuit of home run history, Julio Rodriguez's quest for a hot second half, and the rotation's hopeful return to dominance are three major storylines to watch over the final 2.5 months, but what about three under-the-radar storylines to watch?

Could the team trade Luke Raley?

I'm very much on record as saying I don't want this to happen. I love the way that Raley plays. He provides some speed, some power, some defensive versatility, and some grit. He's also under team control through 2028.

However, the same reasons that I like him are the same reasons that other teams could like him. If the Mariners were to acquire a left-handed hitting first baseman like Ryan O'Hearn, or Josh Naylor, there isn't necessarily room for the new addition, Raley and left-handed Dominic Canzone. If the M's don't want to trade too heavily from the farm system, perhaps Raley could be the odd-man out. I wouldn't love it, but it's something to watch for.

What is Dylan Moore's future?

Moore, 32, is a huge organizational win. Picked up off the scrap heap, he debuted with the team in 2019, and has become a very useful player. Powerful against left-handers and the reigning Gold Glove utility player, he also stole 32 bases in 2024. This year, he got off to a great start, but he hit just .033 in June and .100 in July. He's played less and less of late. The team certainly doesn't want to cut ties with him, but if he continues to struggle, and if they acquire a third baseman like Eugenio Suarez, could they opt to keep Ben Williamson in Moore's role instead?

Williamson doesn't run as well, and doesn't offer the same defensive versatility, but he has been more competitive at the plate. The odds are stacked against this, but it's something else to watch for.

Victor Robles Still Exists

Robles, out since early April with a broken shoulder, is expected to be back in September. And while we're not sure that the Mariners can count on him for anything, he does need to be accounted for. He will eventually take up a place on the 40-man roster, and he will also be on the 26-man roster once he's healthy enough to be. As you think about the outfield, and Raley, and Canzone, and how they fit together, remember that Robles is here as well.