Seattle Mariners Trade Deadline Overview
The Seattle Mariners are finally capitalizing on a talented roster after struggling to contend the past few seasons. With fierce competition atop the American League West, the Mariners will likely make a few moves to bolster their roster down the stretch.
After finishing the 2015 season at 76-86, it seemed as if the Seattle Mariners would require a major overhaul in the offseason in order to keep up with the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. Instead, the team opted to stick with their core and hope that something would change in the division.
And that’s exactly what happened.
The Mariners got off to a hot start early in 2016 due to a resurgent Robinson Cano and solid pitching, and jumped to a lead in the division with the struggles of the Astros. But now that the Rangers have cruised to a five game lead in the division and the Astros are slowly creeping their way up the standings, the Mariners will need to make some trades in the next month or two to solidify their relatively strong roster.
Despite losing Felix Hernandez to injury, the team still boasts one of the deepest pitching rotations in baseball. Hisashi Iwakuma and Taiwan Walker have proven to be solid middle-of-the-rotation arms while Nathan Karns has flashed greatness at times. While Wade Miley has struggled throughout the season, the addition of James Paxton to the rotation has shored up the back end.
The team’s real pitching strength comes in the bullpen, though, as closer Steve Cishek has led a dominant staff.
With solid pitching, Seattle will more than likely seek improvements at the plate. Despite ranking fifth in the league with 311 runs scored, the Mariners have a few key holes to fill in the outfield and at first base.
Here’s a preview of how the Mariners can improve as the trade season begins to heat up.
Next: Where to Improve: Outfield
Where to Improve
Outfield
With the pitching staff virtually set – aside from Miley – the Mariners will likely need to address their outfield and first base as the season goes on.
While Leonys Martin, Seth Smith, Franklin Gutierrez and Nori Aoki are all fine outfielders in their own right, none of them are stars capable of carrying the lineup at any point in the season. Collectively, none of the four are hitting over .260 and have struggled to deliver any sort of consistent power to the lineup.
Martin, despite landing on the DL for a few weeks, has been the standout of the group with a .248/.324/.458 slash line, 10 home runs and 22 runs scored. But Smith and Gutierrez have never been consistent everyday outfielders and Aoki hasn’t made consistent contact this season.
Smith and Gutierrez are both 33 and have combined to hit 11 home runs with 40 RBI – which best benefits the team in a platoon scenario. The two have also been average in the field, and the Mariners could benefit from a consistent presence in the outfield.
The team could turn to a minor leaguer at some point, but top prospect Alex Jackson won’t be ready for big league action for a few more seasons.
Instead, Seattle will likely target a high profile outfielder like Carlos Gonzalez to provide some pop in their lineup, but it may take a major haul of prospects to land him. The team may have to turn to a cheaper option, however, which may not be an issue with the abundance of productive outfielders across the majors.
Next: Where to Improve: First Base
Where to Improve
First Base
While Adam Lind has been serviceable at first base, he’s failed to consistently get on base and provide plus power. As the usual six hitter in the lineup, Lind can get away with mistakes every now and then, but is largely relied on as one of the run producers. A younger, more productive first baseman would suit the team well.
Thus far in 2016, Lind is hitting .247/.286/.424 with eight homers and 25 RBI. While his run production has been solid, his slash line is a far cry from the .277/.360/.460 he posted in 2015.
Eventually, his inability to consistently get on base will cause issues in his ability to drive in runs in the heart of the Mariners’ orders. With the struggles of prospect D.J. Peterson, the team will likely have to look outside of the organization.
But with solid hitters in the heart of the order with Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager, a dominant force at the plate won’t be absolutely necessary to increase the team’s success.
If they’re feeling ambitious, however, targeting a struggling star like Freddie Freeman could be the splashy move that gets them over the top.
And with the Rangers continuing to dominate atop the division, a splash may be the only thing that gets the Mariners back to the top.
Next: Let's (Car)Go With This Trade
Potential Trade Options: Outfielders
With no shortage of productive outfielders available across the league, the Mariners will be able to take their pick at whether they want a star or nothing more than a solid everyday player. Here’s three options that would likely improve the roster immediately.
Carlos Gonzalez
While Carlos Gonzalez’s name has been on the trade deadline for the past few seasons, this may finally be the season the Colorado Rockies pull the trigger and the trade the slugging 30-year-old.
This season, CarGo has built off his resurgent 2015 campaign to bring his slash line to .303/.351/.547, which is much more in line with his career norms than his numbers from two seasons ago. Gonzalez also has 14 home runs, and while his power benefits from the hitter-friendly Coors Field, he’s proven to be one of the game’s elite power hitters over the past several years.
Slotting Gonzalez into the middle of the order gives the Mariners yet another power threat alongside Cano, Cruz and Seager and gives the team a legitimate second superstar. With his high OBP, Gonzalez could also slot into the two hole, which would still give him plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.
Despite his relatively shaky defense, Gonzalez’s offense would make up for any miscues in right field.
A large salary for the next two seasons is another reason for the Rockies to move on, but the Mariners would be able to take on the money. Acquiring Gonzalez would take a huge package, but the Mariners have enough pitching depth once Hernandez returns to get a deal done.
However, if the Rockies aren’t quite impressed with the Mariners’ prospect package, Seattle could almost assuredly acquire the resurgent Jay Bruce from the Cincinnati Reds. After nearly being traded in the offseason, the Reds decided to hold onto Bruce – and that decision has proved to be brilliant.
Bruce is hitting .276 with a .911 OPS and 14 home runs – and after two consecutive down seasons, the 29-year-old finally looks to be back to his dominant ways. With his strikeout percentage down two points to 20.4 percent this season, Bruce has looked more confident and patient at the plate.
The Mariners could slot Bruce into the middle of the order and get an immediate boost over Smith and Gutierrez. While he’s struggling in the outfield with a -15.2 defensive WAR, the rest of the M’s athletic outfielders could make up for any issues.
Bruce isn’t a flashy name like he once was, but would quickly complement the current stars in the Seattle lineup. With an option year left on his contract, Seattle would also get a year to decide if they’d like to re-sign him, too.
While Rusney Castillo has seen a quick fall from grace, he could benefit from a change of scenery. It’s hard to imagine the Mariners taking on his full salary, so some negotiating with the Boston Red Sox would need to take place – but this acquisition could be a sneaky good pickup for Seattle.
With a combination of speed and defensive prowess, Castillo could play anywhere in the outfield for the Mariners. Despite his struggles with the bat, playing under less pressure in the northwest would benefit the soon to be 29-year-old.
Next: Set Him Free
Potential Trade Options: First Basemen
The Mariners options at first base are limited, but with the Atlanta Braves at the basement of the National League, it may be time for the Braves to move on from Freeman.
Without any protection in their lineup, Freeman has struggled to produce this season. A .242 average is far from his career norm, and his .754 OPS is even uncharacteristic. With nine homers to this point, his power numbers may actually increase – but that’s led to an increased strikeout rate of 26 percent.
Adding Freeman to Seattle would almost assuredly rejuvenate his bat while the team battles for a division crown down the stretch. With his struggles, Freeman would likely slot into the six hole in the lineup behind the trio of Cano, Cruz and Seager – and he’d be able to rack up RBI.
Freeman hasn’t driven in more than 80 runs since 2013, but he may be able to do it in half a season with the dominant middle of the Mariners’ lineup. Despite his lack of defensive ability at first base, Freeman would likely return to being a feared contact hitter with the Mariners’ lineup giving him protection.
With the Braves stuck in a rebuild for the forseeable future, it’s possible that they’d be open to taking a few prospects and major-league ready pitchers in return for Freeman.
Next: King Felix Out 4-6 Weeks
Although the Mariners would decimate their already thin farm system, there’s no better time than now to make a run at the playoffs while they’re still in striking distance of the Rangers.