There are several Mariners whose names are going to pop up in trade rumors over the coarse of July, but Raul Ibanez is, in my opinion, one of the guys that will undoubtedly be wearing another team’s colors in August.  He’s still an RBI machine and is much more affordable compared to other potential rent-a-players.

The Seattle front office is reportedly more focused on moving other players first, but there will come a time later in the month where the trigger will be pulled regardless of who is left on the club.

The New York Mets have emerged as a strong fit for Ibanez’s services, according to Anthony Reiber of Newsday.  The oft-injured Moises Alou may have finally broken down for good, so the Amazin’s will be looking for a productive gap to fill the void for the remainder of the season.  ESPN’s Jayson Stark had previously reported that Seattle would be looking for a “quality young outfielder” to start.  The NY Post’s Joel Sherman mentions the names of Mike Carp and Nick Evans as a couple of guys the Mets may be willing to deal, two guys that would look pretty offensively solid at a quick glance.

The Atlanta Braves are another possible destination, according to Prospect Insider.  The Braves make sense.  They could use the production out of left field and the two teams have matched up on several deals in recent times.  

UPDATE - John Hickey of the Seattle P-I, as well as Fox’s Ken Rosenthal, are both reporting that the Arizona Diamondbacks are considering Ibanez, though Rosenthal doesn’t believe Ibanez is enough of an upgrade over Chad Tracy.