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Greg Johns has his typically even-handed take up on the next two weeks at the M's site.  Sez he:

What they have to offer
The ability to take on salary is a significant factor, since many non-contending teams are willing to accept a smaller prospect package if they're able to unload higher-priced veterans for the final two months. The Mariners don't have as many elite prospects to compete on the trade market as most other contenders, but Dipoto hasn't let that stop him in the past.

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There's an old axiom, "Where there's a will there's a way."  Jack Nicklaus memorably used it with reference to his hitting golf balls in the snow growing up.  With the Mariners there has seldom been a will, but Jerry Dipoto is probably the most aggressive trading GM in baseball.

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Johns sez:

The Mariners have put themselves in prime position to end MLB's longest playoff drought and reach the postseason for the first time since 2001. They have both motivation and money, with more than $6 million in 2018 payroll savings from Cano's suspension still available as well as the potential to increase the budget to make a postseason push.

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Another point we've pressed year after year; a team's cap is whatever the team says it is.  You remember Schilling going to Jerry Colangelo when the rumors were flying about the Backs being insolvent, and Colangelo smiled.  He showed the players that the real operating surplus, as opposed to the public one, was different "on the order of tens of millions of dollars."

Problem is, Dipoto has shown a heartfelt love for three $12-13M players and a knicknack, as opposed to two $20M impact players.  On that basis you would assume Hamels is out .... UNLESS the Rangers offered to take 1/4 or 1/3 of his salary, in precisely Mike Leake fashion.  The M's are paying $13M of Leake's $18M salary I think; check me on that.

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Again Johns:

Complicating the issue is the impending return of Robinson Cano from his 80-game suspension on Aug. 14. That should provide a helpful boost to an offense that has seen Ryon Healy put up a .200/.227/.362 line in 27 games over the past month and center fielder Guillermo Heredia batting .175/.228/.228 in 41 games since June 1.

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That'll do for us too.

Complicating the issue:  is there ANY body here who can visualize Cano just putting on a 1B glove and jumping in there 2nd half?  I can't imagine it even for a single game.  Cano's pride enters in, you know, and even Dr. D can relate to the desire to not completely embarrass yourself.

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Finally on Johns' fine column:

Possible scenario
Rays right-hander Nathan Eovaldi or Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ are the kind of starters who make sense to add for the final two months. Both are free agents after the season and thus wouldn't cost elite-level prospects, perhaps a promising reliever like Matt Festa (ranked No. 9 in the team's farm system by MLB Pipeline), Wyatt Mills (No. 10) or Seth Elledge (No. 17) and a lower-level prospect or international bonus pool money. Eovaldi is drawing considerable interest after finally getting healthy following his second Tommy John surgery, and he brings high upside, though he struggled his last outing so teams will want to make sure health isn't again an issue in his next start or two. Happ would be the safer option. He also hasn't been as sharp of late, but he's a proven innings eater who could definitely bolster the rotation.

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And if those are the quality names we're talking about, there are what, 10 such starters out there.  It's true that none of the names are really thrilling, and on some of them the prices are supposed to be sky-high.  But they would not be for these two pending FA's.

Enjoy,

Dr D