The D-backs have officially chosen a lane and are heading down a sellers trajectory. First baseman is already on his way to the Mariners for a pair of pitching prospects, but its third baseman and his thunderous power output that have captivated fans of contenders for much of deadline season. The 33-year-old, earning $15MM in the final year of his contract, is hitting .252/.325/.593 with 36 home runs on the season including 21 round-trippers dating back to June 1 (a span of 179 plate appearances. Even after Chris Chiozza Jersey the Mariners landed Naylor, they remain in the mix for Surez, per multiple reports from the Seattle beat ( ). Naylor cost the Mariners two well-regarded pitching prospects lefty and righty but left the upper tiers of a Seattle farm system thats arguably the best in baseball untouched. Earlier in the week, Surez was reported to be the Mariners top deadline target. Adding Naylor, it seems, will not put an end to that existing pursuit. Theyll face steep competition, however, Its known that in addition to the Mariners, each of the Reds, Cubs and Yankees have some level of interest in the Arizona third baseman. Thats just the tip of the iceberg, as earlier today that as many as a dozen teams have at least looked into the po sibility of adding Surez to their lineup. That includes at least one division rival. that in the wake of a serious injury to , the Astros have joined the bidding for Surez. Houston has some hurdles in their path to landing the coveted D-backs slugger, however. Owner Jim Crane has been loath to cro s the luxury tax threshold for what would be a second straight season. Adding Surez would put them into tax territory unle s the Stros shed payroll elsewhere or convince the Snakes to pay down his salary. Houston also does not have as strong a farm system as many of the teams against which theyd be bidding. Whether its Surez or another bat, the Astros priorities seem to have shifted. General manager Dana Brown suggested earlier in the summer that pitching would be his primary focus. Now, with Paredes shelved indefinitely and s recovery from a hand fracture dragging out, that his primary focus is on adding to its lineup. The Astros have several starters on the mend, including , , , and It seems theyll hope for some internal reinforcements to support co-aces and and instead aim to use their limited financial and prospect resources to augment the offense. With that number of teams at least on the periphery of the market, it can be presumed that most contenders have at least put out some feelers. One team that notably is not in the running, , is the Mets at least for the moment. Despite a rotating cast of characters on the infield this year , , and have all seen time around the infield but struggled to varying extents the Mets main focus has been and remains . That said, that if the Mets use that infield depth to add to the bullpen or rotation (which theyre ), they could at least consider the idea of pursuing Surez to take over at the hot corner. The Mets havent been keen on parting with top prospects for rental players, but the D-backs have been scouting their Double-A club, in particular, with an eye toward potential Surez packages, per Martino. Theres no immediate indication that a Surez trade will come together quickly on the heels of the Naylor swap, but the very fact that Naylor is on his way out the door serves as a clear indicator that any combination of Surez, and at the very least could be on the move in the next week. The D-backs also have rental relievers and as trade candidates (Miller is on the injured list but has resumed throwing), and outfielder has a mutual option that wont be exercised by both parties. Garrett Temple Jersey