Seattle Mariners expect to make August moves
By Tim Haberin
The Seattle Mariners weren’t the most active team prior the trade deadline, but according to GM Jerry Dipoto, that could change this month. What might the M’s consider?
The Seattle Mariners made a couple minor deals before Monday’s trade deadline, but nothing that particularly caught the league’s attention. They acquired reliever Drew Storen from the Blue Jays last week for Joaquin Benoit in a swap of disappointing bullpen arms. A few days later, they sent starting pitcher Wade Miley to the Orioles.
The M’s didn’t take much of a stand one way or the other in terms of buying or selling, which more or less gels with their current position in the playoff picture. Seattle is a manageable five games behind the AL’s second Wild Card spot, but would need to jump over some talented clubs (namely, the Red Sox, Tigers and Astros) to claim the final postseason berth.
Fortunately, notable trades can still go down in the month of August if players clear waivers, meaning the Mariners can continue tweaking their roster depending on how the next couple of weeks fare. General manager Jerry Dipoto seems to think this month’s waiver market will prove fruitful for the team.
“We’re going to have something on the market in August,” he told Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. “I guarantee there will be more activity throughout the league, and we’ll probably be at the center of that.”
As Dutton describes, the Mariners did have a potential deal fall through right before the clock hit zero on Monday afternoon. They were discussing shortstop Zack Cozart with the Cincinnati Reds when the increasingly complicated transaction that sent Jay Bruce to the Mets sidetracked them. M’s minor league pitcher Luiz Gohara would have reportedly gone to Cincy.
Dipoto could certainly attempt to pick up the threads of those talks this month, although it might be more difficult given the waiver hurdle. The 30-year-old Cozart is slashing .266/.317/.462 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. He’s arbitration-eligible next year and could be an appealing option for Seattle if Ketel Marte struggles upon his return from the disabled list.
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But if things break right for the Mariners in the coming weeks (upcoming series against the Angels, A’s and Brewers could help) and they find themselves still in the thick of the postseason hunt, could they set their sights even higher? Easily the most enticing and controversial name in the August rumor mill is Yasiel Puig, recently sent down to Triple-A by the Dodgers.
Make no mistake – Puig has been bitterly disappointing this year, hence the demotion. He owned a mediocre .260/.320/.386 slash line to go with seven homers and 34 RBI before hopping on the next flight to Oklahoma City. That’s a far cry from the .925 OPS he posted in his first major league season.
The Mariners’ current crop of outfielders hasn’t exactly blown the doors off, however. Seth Smith leads the group with a .794 OPS, but he has watched his playing time wane recently. Franklin Gutierrez has put up a .777 OPS in right field (Puig’s usual position) while Nori Aoki has been very underwhelming with the bat (.650 OPS). The club called up 25-year-old Guillermo Heredia a few days ago, who had been slashing a hearty .309/.399/.405 this season between Double- and Triple-A.
Nevertheless, for all his baggage, Puig represents something of a lottery ticket for clubs in need of a spark. He’s still young and a change of scenery could help breathe some life back into his once-dynamic play. Could Seattle be the place for him to do it? Puig is under contract for two more years at a total of $17.428 million. That’s hardly a crippling price tag, and he would potentially be able to help the team beyond this season. The M’s might also feel that veterans like Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz could keep the famously mercurial Puig in line.
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Of course, if Puig doesn’t improve upon his recent production, he wouldn’t signify much of an upgrade over what the Mariners currently have. Is the possible headache worth the risk? They (and any other potential suitor) will have to decide. In the meantime, Dipoto appears confident that his club will do something in the weeks ahead. Whether it’s a move to help this year or beyond remains to be seen.