Seattle Mariners Trade Rumors: Hisashi Iwakuma Pursued By 15 Teams, Will Mariners Finally Trade Him?
Seattle Mariners trade rumors about Hisashi Iwakuma confirm many MLB teams want him.
A Mariners trade of Iwakuma would confirm that the team has given up on the 2015 MLB season, though, so it’s still possible that general manager Jack Zduriencik doesn’t deal him. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, recent Mariners rumors had the team not shopping its veterans as the trade deadline approaches. It shocked fans, especially since some players will be heading to free agency. A new report from FOX Sports could add to those frustrations.
MLB analyst Jon Morosi took to Twitter to post, “#Mariners have heard from several teams interested in starter Hisashi Iwakuma; team still hasn’t committed firmly to trading him.” With the recent success that Iwakuma has had on the mound, this revelation is not at all surprising. He is in the final year of his current contract as well, meaning teams would not have to take on a lot of salary to get a deal done. But is the Seattle front office even willing to have trade discussions about him yet?
What might be propelling many of these Seattle Mariners trade rumors, is how well Hisashi Iwakuma has pitched over his last three starts. He is 2-0 with 18 strikeouts and just four runs allowed in 20 2/3 innings of work. Iwakuma was hurt early in the season, and it hurt the Mariners quite a bit to not have him in the starting rotation. Since returning from the disabled list, he has again started to show why he finished third in the 2013 American League Cy Young voting.
Iwakuma is 34-years old and in the final season of a contract that pays him $7 million in 2015. That’s an extremely affordable salary for any contender, which is why Seattle radio station KJR is reporting that at least 15 teams have contacted Jack Zduriencik about his availability. There is still some hope that the Mariners can turn things around but at 46-54 on the season, the team is now 10 games back of the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West and seven games back from the second wild card slot. Time has nearly run out on making a run.
While it’s still unclear what teams are willing to offer in a deal for Hisashi Iwakuma, it is certainly intriguing to see that so many teams are interested in acquiring him. With Zduriencik fighting to keep his job in Seattle, it may have also created a situation where he doesn’t want to start “selling” off pieces. Before the July 31 MLB trade deadline hits, there are going to be a lot more Seattle Mariners trade rumors. The only real question is whether or not Zduriencik is going to do something or “stay the course.”
[Image Source: Christian Petersen/Getty Images]
