The Seattle Mariners are heading into the second half of June in unfamiliar territory- 8.5 games up in their division
Despite holding a healthy lead after sweeping the second-place Texas Rangers in a huge weekend series in Seattle, the Mariners have some glaring weaknesses to shore up before the trade deadline.
The deadline may still be over a month away, but pennant races are already beginning to take shape. While it’s become clearer which teams are capable of chasing playoff spots, it’s also becoming clear which teams will not be. That means it’s time for teams like the Mariners to begin picking out some potential targets.
For the Mariners, the bulk of their shopping list is the same as it has been for the last several contending seasons: second base, designated hitter, corner outfield, and potentially first base could all use upgrades. Another spot that could use some help is an unfamiliar one: the bullpen. While the team’s bullpen is performing well and is among the best in the majors, it has been pushed to the limit in the first half of the season due to injuries and could use some reinforcements.
The Mariners’ offense has struggled all season and has yet to find any sort of groove. It has the worst run differential among all division-leading teams. Here are a few potential targets the Mariners could look to fill in weak spots.
- Brent Rooker, Outfield/Designated Hitter, Oakland Athletics: Rooker was on my list of players the Mariners should look at last year, and he has done nothing to change that impression, except now other teams will probably come seeking his services as well. Rooker fits the Mariners’ profile: He gets on base, strikes out a ton, and hits the ball hard when he makes contact. Importantly for the Mariners, he’s cheap. Rooker will be eligible for salary arbitration next season and is already 29, meaning the even more spendthrift A’s may be encouraged to move him now.
- Mark Kanha, First Basemen/Designated Hitter, Detroit Tigers: Kanha is the oldest player on the list at 35. Unlike Rooker, he is not cheap, earning $12 million this year, but is a free agent at the end of the season. The Tigers are well out of the playoff chase, and Kanha has no future in the organization. He should be able to be had without a steep cost in prospects as long as the Mariners are willing to pay for the rest of his salary. He has a good eye and hits for decent power. Like Rooker, he can also play several positions, having appeared at games in left field, right field, and first base in addition to being a designated hitter this season.
- Luis Roberts Jr, Outfielder, Chicago White Sox: Roberts is having a down year, hitting just .186 with career-high percentages in strikeouts and chasing pitches. Despite that, he is still running a positive OPS+ at 113 thanks to seven home runs in just 77 plate appearances. He’s played his entire career in centerfield and would likely have to move to a corner outfield spot in Seattle with Julio Rodriguez entrenched in that position for the Mariners. At 26, he’s under contract next year for a reasonable 15 million, with two team option years to follow.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr, First Baseman/Third Baseman, Toronto Blue Jays: Undoubtedly the most exciting name on this list and also the least likely to be acquired. Bringing in the 25-year-old Guerrero would cost the Mariners a king’s ransom in prospects, likely top prospects Harry Ford, Cole Young, and young starting pitcher Emerson Hancock. Guerrero is a perennial all-star, under team control until 2026, hits for power, gets on base, and fills a position of need for the Mariners. He’s worth dreaming about, but every other contender will be bidding to acquire him, and that’s if the Blue Jays are even willing to listen to offers.
- Randy Arozarena, Outfielder, Tampa Bay Rays: Trading with the Rays is practically an annual tradition with the Mariners at this point, and if you are going to trade with the Rays, Arozarena is probably the guy you want. He’s having a down year at the plate but has a track record of solid defense and being able to hit for decent power and get on base. He’s earning 8 million in his first season of arbitration and is under team control for two more years. The Rays may demand a decent haul to get him but are also typically willing to try and shed contracts of anyone earning over the league minimum.
- A variety of bullpen arms: While the Mariners have some bullpen reinforcements coming soon in players returning from injuries, they have been burning through their bullpen this year. A few names to be on the lookout for include a rental/returning favorite in Paul Sewald with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a Mariner bullpen magic revival candidate in Chris Devanski from Tampa Bay, or a lefthanded closer on a terrible team that doesn’t need a closer in Jalen Beeks with the Colorado Rockies.
With a commanding lead in the Division in June, the Mariners’ playoff fate rests in their hands. They have clear needs to fill, and the means, motive, and opportunity to acquire them. If the team’s ownership and front office want to show fans and the rest of major league baseball that they are serious about ending the team’s World Series drought, they will not find a better than the present to do so.
