Seattle Mariners: Will Jarred Kelenic be part of “win now” trade deadline?

The Seattle Mariners are riding a 14-game winning streak into the All-Star Game break. With the August 2 MLB trade deadline approaching and Jerry Dipoto sure to make some trades to improve the team’s chances of not only reaching the postseason but also making a deep run as well, would the Mariners be willing to trade Jarred Kelenic if it meant strengthening the team in 2022?

Could Jarred Kelenic and the Seattle Mariners both benefit from a deal at this year’s MLB trade deadline?

In an article by Joel Sherman of The New York Post, Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto is listed as one of 10 baseball team executives under pressure as the MLB trade deadline approaches. Dipoto recently said of the Mariners, “We are now in control of our own destiny” when it comes to the postseason, and Seattle has stormed its way into currently holding one of the American League Wild Card spots.

There is a sense in the Pacific Northwest that the Mariners could surprise in the postseason and maybe even make a run at the American League West, trailing the Houston Astros by nine games with seven contests against the Astros on the docket before July ends.

With all of that in mind, could the Mariners part with Kelenic in an effort to win now rather than wait to see how long the 23-year-old outfielder needs to find his swing at the MLB level? Kelenic was one of the key pieces of the 2018 deal with the New York Mets that sent Robinson Canó and Edwin Díaz to the Big Apple, but the former sixth overall pick has yet to show he can hit with the Mariners, owning a .173/.256/.338 slash line in 623 career plate appearances.

In all, Kelenic has played in 162 games for the Mariners over the last two seasons, essentially putting together one year’s worth of big league stats. While he is hitting for higher numbers in Triple-A (slashing .294/.357/.582 this season in 194 at-bats), the numbers have never translated from the minors to the majors for Kelenic.

Would Dipoto and the Mariners be willing to include him in a swap that could improve Seattle for this season and give Kelenic a chance to start over with another franchise in a classic “change of scenery” move? It would be difficult for Seattle to move on from him, but will Kelenic really be a part of the team’s plans during some of the most important games on the schedule over the next two weeks to a month? It seems unlikely, and Seattle could strengthen its current lineup by using him as an intriguing trade chip.

It would be a gutsy move for the Mariners, but don’t put it past the man known as “Trader Jerry” as Seattle looks to put an end to the postseason drought that has hung over the franchise since 2001.

Would you trade Kelenic if it meant the Mariners would be stronger to better compete with the powers of the American League like the Astros and New York Yankees? Let us know in the comments section below.