MLB Trade Rumors: Mariners Willing to Listen on Ty France, Teoscar Hernández

At 54-51, the Seattle Mariners are just 4.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros for the final AL Wild Card berth.

But it sounds as though they may be sellers ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Sunday that the Mariners "have informed teams that closer Paul Sewald, outfielder Teoscar Hernández and first baseman Ty France are available in trades."

Jon Morosi of the MLB Network added more details on Monday:

France, 29, was an All-Star in the 2022 season but hasn't quite replicated his breakout year, hitting .253 with seven homers, 39 RBI, 57 runs and a .691 OPS this campaign.

For teams seeking right-handed bats, however, he'll potentially be an intriguing option, especially because he'll still be under club control for two more seasons following this year.

The 30-year-old Hernández, meanwhile, is having a pretty standard year given his past production, hitting .238 with 16 homers, 58 RBI, 45 runs and a .696 OPS. His MLB-worst 141 strikeouts is a major concern, but the 2021 All-Star is on pace for his fifth season in the past six years with 20 or more home runs.

He'll bring some pop from the outfield for a contending team if he's dealt, though he'll be a short-term rental given his pending free agency.

Sewald, 33, has already set a career-high with 21 saves on the season to go along with a 3-1 record, 2.93 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 43 innings. He's been excellent, and bullpen-needy teams should be making regular calls to Seattle, especially because he'll be under club control through the 2024 season.

Whether the Mariners will commit to a playoff push or will indeed sell off a number of players remains to be seen. It's clear what the players in the clubhouse are hoping for, however.

"Something's going to happen, we just don't know what it is," Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh told Nightengale. "It's out of our control. We want to be in this thing. We don't want to be giving anybody away. We want to be adding, not subtracting."