Mariners Moose Tracks, 7/29/22: Mitch Haniger, Tyler Naquin, and DK Metcalf

Good morning folks! Normally, today would be pretty active as we’d be two days away from the trade deadline. But with the shift in schedules we’re still four days away, with the deadline on August 2nd. This weekend will likely feature a good deal of movement. But as for today, only time can tell. Here’s what you need to know as you get your Friday started.

In Mariners news...

• Mitch Haniger had quite the complete game for Tacoma yesterday, going yard and recording an outfield assist.

• Here’s the latest on the trade deadline from the Mariners front.

• Ryan Divish at The Seattle Times reports that the Mariners are getting a ton of opposing scouts in Tacoma recently, likely a sign that the team is discussing Jarred Kelenic in trade talks.

Around the league...

• The Angels are reportedly listening to offers on superstar Shohei Ohtani, a shift in mindset from where the organization has stood on the topic for a while. It’s unlikely that both he and Juan Soto get dealt in the next few days, but if they do it could be the wildest deadline ever.
• The Soto buzz is still in something of a holding pattern, with Jon Heyman reporting that the four teams most likely to acquire him at this point are the Padres, Dodgers, Rangers (!), and Cardinals. Meanwhile, Buster Olney reported that he’s heard the Padres are the frontrunners. Then Bob Nightengale went on air and said it was the Padres and Mariners in the lead. At this point, everything you hear about Soto should be taken with a grain of salt unless it comes from one of the non-speculators like Jeff Passan or Jon Morosi.
• Jake Mintz at FOX Sports ranked all 29 teams by how likely they are to acquire Soto. It’s obvious Jake wrote this rather than Mariners fan Jordan Shusterman because of where Jake has Seattle on the list.
• The Mets upgraded their roster by acquiring outfielder Tyler Naquin and reliever Phillip Diehl in a deal with the Reds.
• Jesse Roche at Baseball Prospectus wrote about the standout prospects for the month of July, including M’s prospect (maybe not for much longer) Noelvi Marte. ($)
• The Marlins got some bad news yesterday: top pitching prospect Max Meyer will undergo Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss the rest of this year and perhaps all of 2023 too.
• The Blue Jays are investing in a $230 million stadium renovation for Rogers Centre. Even so, they are not planning to replace the artificial turf with real grass.

Anders’ picks...

• In local sports news, the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a three-year contract extension with star wide receiver DK Metcalf.
• Congratulations to longtime Modesto Nuts broadcaster Keaton Gillogly, who has been named the voice of the Montana State Bobcats!