The Seattle Mariners were one of the most active teams at the deadline. Can it help them win the AL West?
The Mariners reached the deadline but not after making a plethora of trades. The mastermind behind the deals, Jerry Dipoto, acquired three relievers along with outfielder Cameron Maybin. With 56 games remaining for the M’s, getting bullpen help along with outfield depth was a necessity in their pursuit towards the playoffs.
The sting of trades started on Friday with the acquisition of St. Louis Cardinals reliever Sam Tuivailala. The 25 year-old right handed pitcher has a 3.69 ERA in 31 appearances during the year. Tuivailala had been used in a variety of roles and will most likely fill into pitch during the 6th and 7th innings. The Mariners liked the potential of Tuivailala with the high velocity and hope he can make an immediate impact.
The next two relievers were both traded for late Monday night. The first was a trade for Twins lef-handed reliever Zach Duke. On the surface, his stats seem average with a 3.62 ERA and a 9.2 k/9. But his stats are remarkably better vs left-handed hitters. Hitters are hitting just .237 lefty versus .309 right-handed. The M’s will most likely use him as a lefty specialist which was something they didn’t have before. The second of the relievers acquired on Monday was Adam Warren from the New York Yankees. Warren has been an impressive weapon out of the Yankees pen with a whopping 11.1 k/9. Throughout his career he hasn’t ever been a true strikeout pitcher but the rise in strikeouts has been a consistent theme for the whole league.
The final move the Mariners made was for outfielder Cameron Maybin. Maybin had hit .251/.338/.343 in 99 games on the year. He is expected to get ample reps in center-field with the spot seemingly vacant at the moment. Maybin adds a consistent bat to the lineup with some speed which he has 8 steals on the year.
Jerry Dipoto sure was busy over the weekend acquiring 4 new players for the Seattle Mariners. The pitching need coming into the deals was an obvious fix on the roster. Hopefully, it’s enough!