GM Mariners Shoots Down Rumor They Are Willing to Trade 'Just About Anyone' | Bleacher Report

A report on Tuesday suggested the Seattle Mariners were willing to trade many of their top players for the right return this offseason.

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Mariners have been told that they will move "just about anyone" if the trade market is strong. In the same vein, Seattle is open to rebuilding.

Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto at the general manager meeting.

"Clearly over-dramatized," said Dipoto, "by Greg Johns and Maria Guardado of MLB.com." We're open-minded to different ways we can get better, but what we're hoping to achieve is to reimagine our roster to look at it's a quickest path to a championship club.

"We know what the Astros, Red Sox, A's, Yankees and Indians look like, we want to be a perpetual competitor for the second Wild Card, we want to build a championship roster. We can not wait for you and we can not wait to meet you. "We're just too talented to do that."

Passan added Jeans has a no-trade clause, and the M's will ask for a big deal in the world. Mitch Haniger, starting pitcher James Paxton and closer Edwin Diaz.

Jon Heyman of Fancred later added "It sounds like the Mariners will keep" Haniger, Diaz, and pitcher Marco Gonzales, but noted, "Everyone else is up for grabs."

The Mariners missed the playoffs last season with an 89-73 record, and they have reached the postseason since 2001, which is the longest active drought in Major League Baseball.

Seattle appeared on track to end the first half of the 2018 season, but a second half surge by the Oakland Athletics ended the Mariners' season early again.

Despite missing the playoffs, the Mariners had some hugely productive players on their roster last season.

Offensively, Segura hit .304 with 10 home runs, 63 RBI and 20 stolen bases, while Haniger hit .285 with 26 homers and 93 RBI.

Also, Nelson Cruz hit .256 and led the team with 37 home runs and 97 RBI.

Pitching-wise, Paxton went 11-6 with a 3.76 ERA and 208 strikeouts in 160.1 innings.

Diaz enjoyed one of the best seasons ever, as he posted a 1.96 ERA, struck out 124 batters over 73.1 innings and recorded an MLB-leading 57 saves.

With 62 saves in 2008, Francisco Rodriguez is closer to Diaz.

One name that is likely to come up in this issue is that of the Mariners tear down the roster is ace Felix Hernandez.

The six-time All-Star and 2010 American League Cy Young Award winner struggled through a career-worst season in 2018, as he went 8-14 with a 5.55 ERA.

Hernandez may not have much left in the tank, but he could only make a 32-year-old low-risk acquisition for pitching-needy teams.

Prior to the start of the 2018 season, Baseball America ranked Seattle's farm system in Major League Baseball.

Given the lack of talent coming from the pipeline and Seattle's inability to reach the playoffs, it's time to make the Mariners a contender in the coming years.