Seattle Mariners rumors are going to catch fans off guard on Tuesday (November 6). It has been reported that the front office of the Mariners is considering tearing down the roster during the MLB offseason. This could mean that the team undertakes a series of trades in order to move salaried players and get younger in the process. It could also be an indication that the postseason drought is about to get a bit longer for the franchise.

These are not the Seattle Mariners rumors that fans have been expecting in the first few days of the offseason.

There had been rumors about Nelson Cruz and his pending free agency, as well as the team looking to acquire more starting pitching, but a fire sale hadn't come up in most of the online debates about the team. Now, it could be just a matter of time until fan-favorites like starting pitcher James Paxton are playing for a new team.

What Mariners trades could be coming?

MLB analyst and Mariners beat writer Ryan Divish has already posted some names that could come up in MLB trade rumors very soon. Begin that list with James Paxton. The left-handed starting pitcher is considered to be the ace of the Mariners' rotation, bringing a lot of fans to Safeco Field during the regular season. Rooting for him may be about to come to an end because he has been deemed one of the most likely star players to get dealt.

When speaking with general manager Jerry Dipoto, Divish yielded some very surprising information. Dipoto hasn't ruled any player as being off limits. This is something that will queue up the worry of Mariners fans.

Dipoto stated that "Guys like [Mitch] Haniger, guys like Marco Gonzales, guys like Edwin Diaz, these are the pieces that you’re trying to build around, not the pieces that you’re trying to send away.

So you know, we want to be conscious of the fact that we have built up what we think is that next sustainable young core, and built toward it. Those are guys who are all in their mid-20s. I don’t think there’s ever a player that’s off limits."

The most untradeable Mariners players

Ryan Divish worked up a list of players he feels are the most untradeable, using age, salary, and performance as the measuring stick.

He mentioned Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, and Mike Leake. As for the players that most teams might want, that list includes James Paxton, Edwin Diaz, Marco Gonzales, Mitch Haniger, and Jean Segura. Gonzales emerged as a really good starting pitcher last season.

What do all these Mariners trade rumors mean?

With the revelation of these Seattle Mariners trade rumors, the most obvious conclusion is that Nelson Cruz is not coming back. The Mariners will likely let another franchise offer him a new contract and hope that it leads to a nice draft pick. It's going to be tough for fans to see him go, but letting big-name free agents walk away is the first step in a teardown.

Jerry Dipoto is about to make the unpopular decision to start dealing away assets in order to get younger, save on payroll, and collect prospects for the future.

It means that fan-favorites could get traded, leading to another rebuild of the roster. Fans are left to hope that this is just a short-term solution and not a long-term plan that has the Mariners missing the playoffs for years to come.

Terms like fire sale are already getting mentioned on social media by fans of the team. While that might be a rush to judgment on these new Seattle Mariners rumors, only time will tell just how many players from the current roster get dealt by Dipoto. If the past has any lessons for the future, Dipoto is going to be very busy during the MLB offseason.
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