Seattle Mariners Trade Rumors: Hisashi Iwakuma Increases Value On Trade Market, Beats New York Yankees In National Game

Seattle Mariners trade rumors about Hisashi Iwakuma just moved in a positive direction.

Iwakuma pitched for the Mariners against the New York Yankees Saturday (July 18), putting together a second-straight impressive start. Iwakuma went 5 and two-thirds innings, allowing just two runs on five hits, and he didn’t walk a batter. He also had five strikeouts and held the Yankees in check during a nationally televised game.

Before the All-Star break, Iwakuma also pitched eight innings of shutout ball against the Los Angeles Angels. He allowed just three hits, striking out six batters, and notched his first win since returning from the disabled list. It showed that Iwakuma still has the talent that helped him finish third in the 2013 Cy Young voting, and that he could certainly help out a contending team down the stretch.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Hisashi Iwakuma started popping up in Seattle Mariners trade rumors when July started. Now that he has been activated from the disabled list and looks really fresh on the mound, there could be additional teams calling M’s general manager, Jack Zduriencik, about him. What the front office in Seattle needs to decide (quickly) is what a fair package would be in exchange for him.

While pitching for the Mariners, Iwakuma has not made the radar of a lot of fans around Major League Baseball. This is now his fourth season with the team, and he has pitched 559 innings in 97 games. Iwakuma has posted a 3.19 ERA, 1.091 WHIP, and a 40-21 record over that time. Those are the type of All-Star numbers that could help out many teams trying to clinch a spot in the postseason. He is also in the final year of his contract ($7 million in 2015), meaning a new team wouldn’t have to commit to him for the long-term.

Teams that have been linked to Hisashi Iwakuma in recent Seattle Mariners trade rumors include the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Dodgers. All four teams have had scouts watching Iwakuma pitch recently, showing that there is a lot of interest out there as the July 31 MLB trade deadline approaches. The caveat to the rumors, though, is that the Mariners will only deal him if the team gives up trying to make the playoffs.

At the beginning of play on Sunday (July 19), the Seattle Mariners trail the first place Los Angeles Angels by 8-and-a-half games, and the second wild card spot by seven games. A winning streak is really needed at the moment. Otherwise, the front office may need to start trading away parts that include Iwakuma, Austin Jackson, and J.A. Happ.

[Image Source: Rich Schultz / Getty Images]