REPORT: Mariners and Rays Discussing Potential Deal for Mike Zunino

​With the weather getting colder, the hot stove is heating up in the MLB.

The Seattle Mariners are considering a ​fire sale of their team and moments ago, Ken Rosenthal reported that the M's have spoken with the Tampa Bay Rays about a potential trade involving Mike Zunino. 

Among #Mariners’ many discussions, per sources: Talks with #Rays about catcher Mike Zunino. TB has only two Cs on 40-man - Nick Ciuffo and Michael Perez, who have played 40 games combined in MLB. Only other SEA catcher on M’s 40-man is David Freitas, who has played 42 MLB games.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 6, 2018

​​Rosenthal also mentioned how the Rays' current two catchers on their 40-man roster have only played a combined 40 games in the MLB. It would make sense for a team that ​surprised many this year by finishing with a winning record to acquire Zunino.

Despite a low batting average of .201 in 2018, Zunino showed some pop at the dish, finishing with 20 home runs on the season.

Top Mariners assets they should move to rebuild the farm and the org:
1. SP James Paxton
2. RP Edwin Diaz
3. OF Mitch Haniger
4. SS Jean Segura
5. SP Marco Gonzales
6. C Mike Zunino

3B Kyle Seager has lost most of his value.

— Scott Peterson (@scott_peterson4) November 6, 2018

If the Mariners are serious about a fire sale, they should no doubt trade Zunino and some of their other good players this offseason and rebuild the team, which hasn't made the playoffs since their 116-win 2001 season. 

That is the longest postseason drought in sports at the moment, which has fans in Seattle starting to lose patience.