As the season ended, many Pittsburgh Pirates fans felt Tony Watson could be on the trading block. He had a down year by his standards, struggled in his audition to close, and is entering his final year of club control. Shortly after the end of the season, it was reported that the Seattle Mariners could target the Pittsburgh Pirates lefty. Bob Dutton, the Seattle Mariners beat writer for the Tacoma Times, said:
The trade market is still developing, but one name to watch is Pittsburgh lefty Tony Watson, who is believed to be available. He has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining after making $3.