For the first time in what feels like forever, the Seattle Mariners head into the trade deadline with only a few identifiable needs.
Over the past few seasons, as the team approached the deadline, they faced a litany of issues that needed addressing. This year, there are only three: first base, third base, and, to a lesser extent, the bullpen.
The team already took the first step to dealing with those problems last week, trading a pair of minor league pitchers to the Arizona Diamondbacks for first baseman Josh Naylor.
First base has been a gaping hole for the team this year, and in acquiring Naylor, the team brought in a rental bat who doesn’t need to be platooned and has been stellar at getting on base. In acquiring Naylor, the Mariners successfully navigated a gauntlet of competing needs: supporting a team in playoff position, avoiding a significant drain on their highly regarded minor league prospect pool, and avoiding a substantial financial commitment.
Unlike when Seattle acquired all-star outfielder Randy Arozarena at the trade deadline last season, Naylor is a pure rental, with a contract that expires at the end of the season. To get him, the Mariners surrendered their No. 13-ranked prospect, Brandyn Garcia, and No. 16-ranked prospect Ashton Izzi. Garcia is the one who stings most for Mariners fans. The hard-throwing righty was moved to the bullpen this season, rocketed through the minors, and made his MLB debut in Seattle just a few weeks ago. Izzi has also been strong in the minors, but is still probably at least two years away from an MLB debut, after pitching in High-A Everett this year.
Not even touching their top 10 prospects leaves the Mariners with plenty of options to use to fill their remaining holes before the deadline, and there is a decent chance another trade with the Diamondbacks fills both.
The team has been linked with Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez since the Diamondbacks first began scuffling this season. Suarez made the All-Star Game earlier this month and has 36 home runs so far this season. Acquiring him would require a significant sacrifice of pride for the Mariners, who traded him to Arizona two years ago in a move that amounted to a salary dump following a season in which he led the major leagues with 214 strikeouts. Saurez has cut down on the strikeouts somewhat in the desert while still providing a reliable bat and solid glove at third base. He would be another rental, with his contract expiring at the end of the season, but he would be a rental well-known to Mariners fans for his “good vibes only” persona during his time in Seattle.
Unfortunately for the Mariners, Suarez is arguably the best position player on the market in the final days before the trading deadline, and plenty of other teams are interested. After acquiring Naylor for what amounts to a bargain, the Mariners may very well have to use at least one, if not two, of their coveted top 10 prospects to bring in Saurez. The Diamondbacks have multiple teams interested in Saurez, but if given the opportunity, the Mariners have enough in their farm system to trump any offer the Diamondbacks would get. The only question is if they would be willing to do that if the bidding war gets incredibly hot.
In addition to Saurez, the Mariners should be kicking the tires on at least one member of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen. Veteran Shelby Miller reinvented himself as a high-leverage reliever for the Diamondbacks this year. While he has missed most of the last month with a forearm strain, he is expected to be back in the next week, and would help shore up the back end of the team’s bullpen, which has been forced to lean on a variety of less-than-reliable arms to get to Matt Brash and Andres Munoz.
If the Mariners wind up being able to land Naylor, Saurez, and a bullpen arm without clearing out the cream of their prospect crop, it would be a significant coup for Dipoto. Even with just Naylor in the fold, the team made huge strides in patching over one of its most important vulnerabilities. If the team can’t land Suarez, it could move on to options that take fewer prospects to land, such as Minnesota utility player Willi Castro or third baseman Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals. Of those two, Castro would be a more likely target for the Mariners, with an expiring contract and positional versatility. At the same time, Arenado is a fading veteran with a no-trade clause with another two years left on his contract.
The team may very well wait until the final moments before the trade deadline before pulling the trigger on bullpen help. Options for relief help are plentiful, and if the team has several potential targets identified, it may just angle for the best bargain it can find.
Wherever the winding road to the trade deadline leads, the Mariners have already landed a huge improvement by bringing in Naylor. If they can continue to build on that without surrendering their top prospects, they will be in a good position not just to make a run for the playoffs this year, but for years to come when those prospects graduate to Seattle’s starting lineup.
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