Mariners surprisingly called early favorite to sign Orioles All-Star

The Seattle Mariners aren't too many pieces away from being one of the top teams in the American League.

Seattle boasts the best young rotation in baseball and if it can add a little more firepower to the offense could do some serious damage. The Mariners had a strong trade deadline but expect them to look to add even more to the offense this winter.

It's far too early to predict what will happen in free agency, but Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer listed the Mariners as the top option to sign Baltimore Orioles All-Star slugger Anthony Santander.

"Santander is yet another outfielder whose bat is a lot more appealing than his defense, but he could nonetheless have a shot at the Nick Castellanos route to a nine-figure deal," Rymer said. "He was also coming off his age-29 season when he got one, so why not?

"Only so many teams could get in on a market like that, but the (Washington Nationals) could be one of them alongside offense-needy contenders such as the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, and the Yankees if they don't retain Juan Soto. The Mariners would make a lot of sense, as an outfield of Santander, Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena would have legitimate powerhouse potential."

Santander is having a great year and earned his first All-Star nod this season. He currently has 32 home runs and 74 RBIs in just 105 games played. If the Mariners had someone like him in the middle of the lineup they would be cooking right now.

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