The Seattle Mariners are currently in the driver's seat of the American League West after struggling for a large portion of the season.

The Mariners are 34-31 after a 4-0 win against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday and are 2.5 games ahead of the Texas Rangers for first place in the division.

Seattle could create a comfortable lead atop the division with another run akin to the eight-game win streak it had before beginning its current game 10-game road trip.

Even with that possibility and the fact the Mariners are 9-2 in their last 11 contests, that reportedly won't stop the team from being active in the trade market.

The 2026 MLB trade deadline takes place at 12 p.m. PT on Aug. 3, which leaves just under two months for teams to make necessary deals. A lot can happen for Seattle between now and then. According to an analysis piece from Seattle Times writer Adam Jude, the Mariners will be "as active as anyone" at the deadline.

In Jude's article, he identified one player as one Seattle should target: Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton.

Jude's reasoning for naming Buxton as a potential target is multi-fold: the Twins will likely be one of the only sellers in a cluttered American League (that don't also play in the M's division), he's a right-handed outfielder who can also be penciled in as designated hitter and there's a chance he'll be the best bat available to be traded.

Buxton, who's currently day-to-day with a shoulder injury after colliding with the outfield wall in a game Friday, has slashed .257/.319/.549 with an .868 OPS in 55 games this season. He's hit 10 doubles, a triple and 18 home runs with 28 RBIs.

Here's some potential pros of targeting Buxton:

For the entire season, the Mariners have instituted a platoon in right field and designated hitter, with Luke Raley often being the team's right fielder against right-handed pitchers and Dominic Canzone being the DH against righties. In the same vein, Rob Refsnyder has been slotted in at DH against lefties and Victor Robles (when healthy) has been in right field.

The arrangement has led to mixed results, especially with the right-handed hitters. Refsnyder is slashing .136/.207/.247 in 39 games this year and has hit three homers with nine RBIs. Robles has been limited to just 13 games this year due to a pec strain and has slashed .276/.276/.345 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Having Buxton in the lineup would allow Seattle to have another everyday bat in the lineup. He can DH against righties and play in the outfield against lefties and enjoy the occasional off-day for Robles or Refsnyder.

It would also allow the Mariners to keep Buxton and Robles both healthy. The former of the two hasn't played more than 126 games in a season since 2017. Robles hasn't played more than 91 games in a season since 2022 and played just 32 last year due to injury.

Buxton has hit .266 in 64 at-bats against lefties this year and .253 in 162 games against righties.

Buxton, 32-years-old, is relatively cheap compared to other hitters of his respect and caliber (two All-Star selections, one Silver Slugger award in the last five years). He's under team control through the 2028 season and is set to earn $15.142 million annually in the final three years of his deal, including this year.

If Seattle is able to manage Buxton's at-bats and workload and keep him healthy, that price tag could be worthwhile in terms of production.

It would also allow the Mariners to be patient in bringing along several top 100 prospects, including outfielder Lazaro Montes (No. 28 MLB Pipeline top 100) and infielder/outfielder Michael Arroyo (No. 46 MLB Pipeline top 100).

Refsnyder, Robles and left fielder Randy Arozarena are all set to be free agents after this season. Having coverage in the outfield in the form of Buxton could help Arroyo and Montes to be eased into consistent playing time.

Buxton could end up being the final piece of the puzzle Seattle needs to have a lineup with no "weaknesses" going into the latter stages of the regular season and the playoffs.

Raley (.253/.315/.530 slash line; 13 homers; 31 RBIs) and Canzone (.275/.342/.529 slash line; eight homers; 25 RBIs) have both earned trust against righties.

But, despite Robles' fantastic defense in the outfield and proficiency on the base paths, and Refsnyder's career reputation as a great hitter against lefties, neither has earned enough trust this season to be "the guy" in the playoffs.

The only other real option the Mariners have in the organization is former top 100 prospect Brennen Davis, who's currently with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers and is on the injured list due to a hamstring strain. Davis has an opt-out on his contract Aug. 1 and has slashed .265/.376/.512 with an .888 OPS in 47 games with Tacoma, also hitting 15 doubles and nine home runs with 31 RBIs.

With Minnesota potentially being in firesale mode, Seattle also won't likely have to go deep into its farm system coffers to put together a trade package to acquire him.

A completely healthy everyday Mariners lineup with Buxton introduced, a healthy Brendan Donovan and catcher Cal Raleigh, would arguably be the best lineup in the majors behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.

At this point, a potential trade for Buxton seems to be speculation rather than something actually in the works.

But considering the pros vs. the cons, it's a deal Seattle should at least touch base on.

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