The Mariners are planning to be aggressive in adding offense this summer, according to a report from Will Sammon, Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal the Athletic. The report adds that money isn’t expected to be an issue for them in the coming months, which tracks with comments from manager partner John Stanton earlier this month, when he said that the front office would have resources to bolster the club.
While many clubs around the league are hovering around .500 and waiting to decide if they are going to be buyers and sellers or somewhere on the fence, the Mariners are firmly positioned to buy. They have a record of 44-33 on the year and have an eight-game lead in the division, thanks to slow starts from the Astros and Rangers.
They have done that in a decidedly pitching-forward manner. The club has an overall batting line of .220/.300/.369 , which translates to a wRC+ of 97, indicating they have been three percent below average. But the pitching staff has a collective earned run average 3.53, the seventh-best mark in the majors. The rotation has been especially strong, as Seattle starters have a 3.39 ERA that’s behind just three clubs.
Given their position in the standings and the strength of their rotation, the club is well positioned to add a bat or two and strengthen the roster for a postseason run. As mentioned by the Athletic report, the club also has a very strong pipeline of prospects, with five guys on Keith Law’s recently-updated top 50 at The Athletic. Baseball America has seven Mariners on their top 100 at the moment. FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline each have four young Mariners on their respective top 100 lists.
The financial aspect of things is also good news, since that seemed to be an issue in the offseason. Due to concerns about TV revenue, the front office was reportedly given a smaller payroll increase than they had anticipated, which limited what they were able to do. The club didn’t make a qualifying offer to Teoscar Hernández and also made cost-cutting trades that sent away players like Eugenio Suárez and Jarred Kelenic.
They did add some of that money back to the ledger by signing Mitch Garver and acquiring Jorge Polanco, among other moves, but some fans were left feeling as though it amounted to a series of lateral plays. The fact that the club has started strong and now seems to have some financial wiggle room is surely encouraging relative to a few months ago.
All of those factors point to the Mariners being one of the most fascinating clubs to watch in the months to come. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto got the nickname “Trader Jerry” for being one of the executives with the strongest propensities for swinging deals. Now his club is going into next month’s deadline in a strong position to add, with prospects and money available for getting things done.
As noted by the report from the Athletic, the primary question for the front office to answer is exactly how much of their future talent are they willing to sacrifice in order to upgrade the team now. Teams seem to get more and more reluctant to give up top prospect talent as times goes on and the Seattle brass may have to make some tough decisions about whether to hold or let go.
There are different ways the M’s could go about adding offense. 16 players have taken at least 20 plate appearances this year with only five of them having an above-average wRC+: Ty France, Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore, Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone. After slow starts, Julio Rodríguez and Garver have begun to heat up. Cal Raleigh is striking out a lot but is a strong defensive catcher and has 12 home runs. J.P. Crawford seems to be getting BABIP’d while still providing strong shortstop defense.
The regulars with the largest struggles have been Polanco and Mitch Haniger. Polanco is currently on the injured list with a right hamstring strain while sporting a batting line of .195/.293/.302 for the year. He has five home runs and a strong 11.6% walk rate but his 30.9% strikeout rate would be easily the worst of his career if it stayed that way. Haniger is slashing .218/.286/.336 for a wRC+ of 83 with subpar defense to boot.
Moore has taken over second base in Polanco’s absence and has been performing well. He has the ability to play all over, which gives the club some flexibility in pursuing external additions. Some of the hitters that could be available include Tommy Pham, Eloy Jiménez, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Bryan De La Cruz. The White Sox may consider offers for Luis Robert Jr., though it would take a blockbuster to get something done there. The Angels and Athletics could look to move players like Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, Brandon Drury, Brent Rooker or Miguel Andujar, though the M’s may be reluctant to send young talent to a division rival. Depending on how the Wild Card races shake out, players like Randy Arozarena, Jesse Winker (though it’s hard to imagine Seattle bringing him back) or Mark Canha may become available as well.
If someone could wake-up Julio Rodriguez that would help, too. Pete Alonso would look good in Seattle.
Mets are half a game out of wild card. He’s not going anywhere as of now
GC: I appreciate that angle, but your faith in the Mets doing the right thing is, respectfully, misplaced. “Mets” is almost a verb in baseball.
Could also be used in daily life, such as: I really got Mets’d at work today.
But I’m a White Sox fan so it’s probably better to keep my mouth shut.
Iron: your White Sox really Mets’d up this year. Your honesty is appreciated.
You muted me for being civil in our back and forth? How soft are you, 30 Parks? Ooops, forgot you can’t hear or see. Thank you for your contribution.
“I appreciate that angle, but your faith in the Mets doing the right thing is, respectfully, misplaced. “Mets” is almost a verb in baseball.”
Yeah, I forgot what a great tradition of winning the Seattle Mariners have…
“But I’m a White Sox fan so it’s probably better to keep my mouth shut.”
Sounds like you’re giving yourself some good advice there.
Thank goodness!! Alonso would be the wrong guy for the M’s
Alonso has never played a single game in Seattle. It would be rather difficult to assess how good he would look.
Skenes: nuance is not your thing.
Nuance? You said Alonso would look good in Seattle. Seattle is arguably the toughest places to hit. Alonso has been up-and-down with the bat the last year and a half.
Care to explain yourself?
You can have Alonso, if they’re willing to give up a young SP ( Gilbert, Kirby, Miller or Woo), we’ll even include McNeil and Quintana lol
Profar and Arraez to Seattle. What is the return?
Would have to get real bad for SD to sell. But you seen what it took to get Arraez. Cold then hot now, only few months later so I would guess similar value.
Padres are going nowhere this year. Next year will be worse if they can’t start to unload some contracts and avoid arbitrations. No room to maneuver. Can’t afford these guys next year. Also move Cronenworth to the Yankees and Cease/Suarez to O’s. Kim is available too.
San Diego is a game out of wild card. They aren’t selling off
what a horrible, horrible take
Today no. But by end of July going into August it is hong to be 2021 again. King and Waldron will most likely be at their limits. They will be in uncharted waters innings pitched wise. Darvish won’t pitch 100 inning this year. Musgrove could be done for the season. They have no depth. By August, wildcard will be a distant mirage.
Padres don’t have to worry about next year regarding contracts and arbitrations.
This year they were limited by cba penalties. If they don’t break it this year penalties reset to 0.
They’ll have room to maneuver. They only have 154 mill on books for next year.
They have the rotation under contract Darvish Musgrove Cease King Waldron plus Vasquez and others Mazur Snelling
They have everyone but Profar and Kim under contract next year. But they can sign a LF and sign a 2B or SS depending where Bogaerts plays in 2025. Or give Pauley Rosario 2B
Sorry incorrect. King, Arraez and Cease are not under contract for next year. They are arb eligible, contract is TBD. AAV for next season is set at $188M on 9 contracts m, Hosmer and other ancillary expenses part of CBT calculation But I guess you see them blowing by $241M. Reminder, Seidler’s no longer here and giving out long term contract for big $ is probably in the past.
Lmao so padres have control of their contract next year via arb process (either they agree or go to arbiter that agrees with player or team) and they’re under team control for next year and your counter argument is “nut uh price not set yet” wow. That’s a pretty lame and uninspiring comeback that proved absolutely nothing at all. Sorry that was a lame response.
And they will get about $35M collectively that is not part of the $188 but counts towards the $241.
Some teams just aren’t going to sell unless they absolutely have to. San Diego is one of those teams.
the return is nothing since the padres aren’t trading them
I suppose SD could trade Profar and Arraez for pitching and it wouldn’t necessarily have to be selling from SD.
SD could do that and hope for a productive return from Bogaerts. Who plays LF? I guess Peralta/Wade/Azocar/Graham Pauley.
San Diego just traded for Arraez.. follow baseball much? Lmao
So? Here is the deal. SD right now has $188M (AAV) tied up in 9 players + Hosmer next year. That leaves them $53M below CBT tax which they say they want to avoid paying. So they need to spread that $53M across about 25 players. The expectation is that a team will run about 34 players through an active roster. Arraez, Cease and King are arb eligible. That’s about $35-40M on just those 3. Do the math. Forget Kim and Profar. Can’t afford to resign them. They need to dump some of house 9 long term contracts to free up space. Cronenworth and Suarez are the most trade-able.
OK, but let’s be realistic for a minute: King, Cease, and Arraez aren’t going to be non-tendered unless they have serious, severe injuries or things go extremely south performance-wise due to obvious factors. So, sure, they aren’t “under contract” but that’s just semantics given the point you’re trying to make.
If money ends up being an issue, they will find decent trades for them in the offseason or they’ll figure something else out.
Agree. But if they can get great offers from teams motivated with legit playoff potential, why wait until the offseason. Pull the trigger now. If not, yes, more than a few trades in the offseason. But the return might be diminished as those teams will not be immediately postseason inspired. Of course, Profar and Kim will already be gone by then.
Padres control their contract rights for 2025. Only team King Cease and Arraez can “negotiate” with are the padres via the arbitration filing process. No one else. Padres control their contract rights for 2025 until otherwise changed.
And I am saying their contract numbers will come out to around $35M collectively.
Arraez’ game would work well in Seattle. That park is difficult for power guys and has been for many years. Arraez would be a good addition and could take some pressure of Crawford and Rodriguez.
@skenesandslopes- It’s actually the opposite. The Mariners commissioned a study quite a few years ago that concluded the marine layer from Elliott Bay holds the ball in the air so gap to gap guys with LD launch angles don’t often work very well. The study determined the best bet for scoring runs is to have players with good eyes who can take a walk and knock the ball over the fence.
AKA 2001 Seattle Mariners. It will never make sense to me that Pat Gillick figured the blueprint out 20+ years ago but nobody has ever followed it since.
Several studies I have seen, have shown hitters with a powerful flyball swing and a good walk rate translate well in Seattle.
Well, we see how that works! Their offense stinks. I think Arraez would be just fine
Huh? It’s actually proving itself in front of our eyes.
Look at how the LD hitters the M’s have had over the last 10 years have done. Now look at how the players who have more of a LD approach are performing and why. J.P. and D-Mo got here and literally turned themselves into launch angle guys because the other way wasn’t working. You think Arraez would be just fine, and maybe he would, but it’s really easy to say so without evidence while not actually having to answer for acquiring that player if they perform poorly here. I doubt he hits as well here as he has elsewhere.
That’s nice….
The Mariners issue is that their pitching doesn’t play well on the road.
Road vs. Home ERA is almost double.
That huge park factor also is why hitter additions tend to flop at home.
Samuel – the trouble with that narrative is: their actual road ERA doesn’t paint a very clear and honest picture of the Staff. That ERA is more of a reflection of the difficulty of their opposing lineups. The M’s Staff has not only faced some really good lineups up to this point but they’ve also had fewer days off than the majority of the League between those trips. One might be tempted to think those numbers will continue but like I say…..
Before today’s series in MIA the M’s have gone to MIL, TOR, COL, TX, HOU, MN, BAL, NYY, WSH, OAK, KC, CLE. Not exactly anemic lineups. They’ve only faced 3 bad lineups, one of those plays at a mile high!
It’s easy to see how that Road ERA will go down when you realize that every single team they face after today’s MIA series (except LAD and HOU) all have below average scoring offenses.
LOL there is a negative chance Seattle would bring Winker back into the clubhouse. They’d give up a prospect just to keep him away.
Winker going back to the mariners would be like Kevin Durant going back to the warriors, literally impossible and makes a toxic locker room
Jesses Seattle tenure is defined by him holding up the birds at fans
He flipped the bird to Angels fans at their stadium after a brawl. What in the heck are you talking about?
Exactly!! What an odd take. It’s the second time I’ve heard that one.
Comparing a generational talent like KD with 2.5 chips during his tenure on the Dubs and no public animosity to a Jesse Winker situation is wild
What’s a 0.5 chip?
Mmmmmm KD….Kraft Dinner.
I read “getting BABIP’d” and thought that’s a great way to describe it, I bet Darragh wrote this. Scroll up and sure enough. Great work on this one. Really enjoyed the read
Don’t get me all riled up like this and then trade for Conforto, Jerry
That’s a good point- how many times have the media/industry experts and fans alike predicted the name of the player that Jerry ACTUALLY acquired? He always pulls a name/player that is least expected! The more we think Alonso and Guerrero the more likely we’ll get Michael A Taylor or Nick Gordon?
Huh.
I’ll take Robert to put in right next to Julio everyday, thank you very much
Robert is struggling right now and gets injured a ton and would probably cost one of the top prospects
I wouldn’t want to give up ford or young or Emerson for someone as risky as Luis
I’m ready for and understand that take, I just can’t help but salivate at the thought of having those two healthy together in the playoffs.
Gotta risk it to get the biscuit
I agree with the prospect capital take, but he’s “struggling” to the tune of .198/.270/.494 aka a 106 wRC+ (that would place, what, 3rd on the team right now?) in the year of the pitcher.
They wouldn’t have to make a big trade if these guys started to hit like they’re capable of. My biggest concern right now is the pen. Lots of injuries lately.
They are trying to improve the offense right now…Luis Robert does not do that.
He actually quite literally and statistically would improve the offense. Based on this comment and your last comment to me, I’m fairly convinced you don’t understand contextual statistics in baseball or how to apply them.
He’s batting .191, with a .265 OBP. He is just more of what the Mariners already have. And he only has 1 season playing more than 100 games. The M’s need a full time player who can hit.
So you acknowledge his low BA and OBP (in a limited, meaningless sample) but ignore his slugging percentage that *literally* makes him an above average bat statistically so far this season. Childish.
I could see us acquire at least 2 hitters my prediction is de la Cruz and Pham
I could also see jazz but only for cheap since he wouldn’t help with the strikeouts and can be inconsistent
I know they’re winning the division, but I think it’s much ado about the Rangers underperformed and the Astros starting to fade… although, I guess their pitching is good.
Can’t do much with Mitch “hang it up” Haniger. That was not a great move to get him back, said that from day 1.
They had to in order to unload Ray’s money.
Yeah getting rid of Ray was a win can’t complain about Haniger.
And, for what it’s worth, he’s been excellent when he’s the DH.
I really wonder if a more limited role as a bench bat and part-time DH would be best.
Some M’s fans say it’s about the money while I’ve heard others sat that isn’t the reason.
Why did they sign Ray in the first place anyway? I just don’t get it, as he made them better and theyre still trying to remain competitive, yet the front office seems counterproductive.
That being said, they’re doing better this year than I expected, but I think losing Ray will come back to bite them.
Because they needed a front-line starter.
They signed him before they had acquired Castillo and before Miller or Woo were finished developing.
Marco Gonzales and Chris Flexen were the 4 and 5 starters. Even Kirby wasn’t on the opening day roster, so they didn’t know what they had.
And they made the postseason with Ray.
They moved him because they had 5 solid starters and he is getting paid despite not being able to contribute until the second half. Seattle needed to put that dough to immediate use.
Worth noting they even saved some cash in that deal.
Not only was that move about offloading Ray’s contract, but Haniger has been above average this season against RHP. Something like 111 wRC+ in 180 PA. Now that they have him firmly in a platoon, he’s fine for the ROS.
Plus, getting out from under Ray’s future contract gives them payroll flexibility to add guys at the upcoming deadline. And Tony Disco came back in that trade, who then helped net them Polanco. Good trade all-in-all.
The move was not to get Mitch back it was to unload Ray salary.
Clearly, I know, but Ray is a piece that can help them.
Say what you want about “hang it up,” but good teams don’t sign guys just to platoon. He’s a -.7 WAR player. He hurts more than helps, whether you M’s fans are in denial or not.
Offloading Ray was a dumb move in my opinion because they’re trying to stay competitive but got rid of a key guy who could make them competitive and it’s not like he was that expensive.
50 million over two years is cheap? His 25 and 26 salary is 25 million per year, of course he could opt out but highly unlikely. For a player that might not ever pitch like he did before. This trade was way for both teams to rid salaries.
The M’s paid the contract up front, so now why is it a financial problem? If they didn’t want to overpay, why did they? They created their own problem then, which doesn’t make them look good
I never said he was cheap by the way
We didn’t need Ray. We don’t need Ray. We need offense
@Chaim- I think you’re overrating Ray big time. I was hoping we would do pretty much anything to get rid of him. He would have been our sixth best SP going into this season, clearly in front of Hancock but just behind whichever of Woo and Miller you prefer. You don’t pay $25M to your sixth best SP.
@Chaim “The M’s paid the contract up front, so now why is it a financial problem?”
Because he wasn’t performing well relative to his salary or the rest of the rotation. He was way too inconsistent for a $25M SP. Him not performing as expected made his contract become an albatross. Also, like many other teams, the M’s had issues with their RSN.
How much has Ray helped the Giants to date?
That’s the point: his recovery, and the likely rusty return this year, doesn’t/wouldn’t help his former team that has a solid rotation without him.
And though Haniger hasn’t helped, SF ate some dough to make the deal happen, and the hope was that Haniger, finally healthy, could handle RF.
You’re using the benefit of hindsight to say this hasn’t worked out for Seattle, but until now, it’s still a question mark for SF.
He deserves the rating. He has the highest strikeout rate in baseball. No one can compare with that when he is pitching. I don’t think he’s the best pitcher, but he’s solid and while the other guys look good, I don’t trust them to be aces.
Hang it up did nothing and the other pitcher they acquired and traded to Minnesota got injured, so they traded an ace essentially for financial stability. Call it what you want, but the M’s shouldn’t be cutting payroll and not getting better on their roster for it. They should be adding key pieces to beat the other teams in the division.
How do you know Ray will return to pitch like an ace, whenever he is actually pitching again?
I wish money wasn’t an issue. Nobody has been more vocal about that than me. But I don’t fault Jerry or Justin for doing what they did.
They still have a first place team, despite the lack of offense and recent losses, and they can tighten up next month.
They used the money saved to make other moves, namely trade for Jorge Polanco which hasn’t worked on its own; however, Ray isn’t (and never was an ace). A really high K/9 rate doesn’t make it so. Even in his Cy Young year, the Blue Jays didn’t lean on him in the playoffs because he proved he wasn’t that guy.
Ray was not a positive for the M’s in the year he was healthy and now he hasn’t been healthy in a year and a half. Our rotation improved simply by subtraction. We would not want to have to find a place for him right now. He wouldn’t make the rotation better and he’s not an improvement on the 5 currently there.
Seattle needs help, well lets see we got kike, biggio, Taylor, Barnes not sure which one to take well just take them all you can have them, just thank us later
If we get Taylor back in Seattle then we couldn’t stop there, get ketel marte and taijuan walker while we’re at it
Why stop there and convince cano and Nelson to play and it’ll be 2016 all over again!
The Tigers should grab Chisholm Jr, or even Robert if the price is right. They need proven offence and they both have good sticks. I know the Tigers are sinking fast but they have the prospects to outbid contenders for players like this who could make a difference in the long term. Just dot it Greenberg!
“Proven offense”…The only thing Chisholm has “proven” is that he’s injury-prone and overrated. His dance moves are the only thing exceptional about him and even that’s a matter of taste or opinion.
He’s on pace for a 20-20 season. I’ll take it. He’d be a CF upgrade.
“20-20 season..CF upgrade”…Jazz is NOT an “upgrade”, defensively or offensively, over the Mariner’s current CFer, Julio Rodriguez.
I said the Tigers dude. Read the post. Down season or not NO ONE is an upgrade over Julio!
Confusion is you are posting this on a Mariners post.
A post which talks about Robert and Chisholm. I didn’t see a rule that we couldn’t talk about another team anywhere.
No rule issue..was saying why confusion on response by others to you. Don’t be so defensive…lol. have a good one
Sorry dude. My bad. Cheers.
No problem go Tigers and Mariners!!
Elias Díaz would be an upgrade for Seattle.
Why would they trade for a 32 catcher who’s worse than their current starter? Cal is *adored* by their pitching staff as well. There’s no way they move off him.
Diaz could be the DH, and can catch when Cal needs a break from catching.
The Mariners DH Mitch Garver is only hitting .176. Diaz is hitting much better this season than Garver.
Garver has a 143 wRC+ in June; Haniger has a 191 wRC+ as a DH.
If Luis Robert can get going the next few weeks, he’d be a great addition to that Mariners lineup, playing RF or the occasional CF starts.
That’s an if
Also another if is that if he does heat up how much more will he cost?
If Robert goes back to his 2023 self these next few weeks, I think Getz can get some good value considering his contract status, it’s “affordable” if he gives you the value he has shown, and Robert is still young and in his prime.
I’m not familiar with the Mariners’s farm system, so I’m not sure what it would take, this is a bit tricky…
Robert will cost too much. It would absolutely gut the mariners farm system. He could be a big difference maker and they will have to part for talent to get talent but I suspect they ask the moon and might get it from someone
Yes Roberts will be costly and I don’t think he would be the difference maker that The M’s need.
Most of all they don’t need another HR/Strikeout/injury guy, they are loaded with that already.
This team is #1 in strikeouts and the lead isn’t small, 773 starting today with Oakland in 2nd with 748.
I agree that someone like Arraez would be the better fit.
They are #8 in HR but that seems to be what past FO and this FO will likely try to trade for and the no name bullpen piece which is fine but that wont help the run production.
Seattle simply isn’t a team that has been willing to trade multiple top prospects for the right to pay a significant salary, and especially not a bat that Ks a ton, is often injured, not currently hitting, and whose value comes largely due to center field defense where they’re obviously set.
The M’s need a top line back end reliever. Munoz can’t carry the back end of the BP forever. With Brash out and Santos still on the mend. They need another guy that can help close out games.
I agree, and maybe they could splurge a little by taking on some salary if they could move a little elsewhere.
I think that might be a bigger need than bats despite their offensive issues. They need offense but they also neee bullpen help.
Yes, Garver is heating up: 30 day avg/ops: .171/.697, 15-day: .229/1.013, 7-day: .231/.990
Do Athletics qualify as a division “rival”? They are blushing with pride at the mere mention…
“with five guys on Keith Law’s recently-updated top 50”:
Five Guys slays, especially the fries. Def Top 50 material
Haniger hasn’t played “subpar defense”. He’s been atrocious. He is a shell of himself and needs a Walker to get around in RF. His range has dropped by 50% just in 2 years. Any ball not hit directly to him IS a base hit.
I’ll take jazz and rengifo. Good bats and positional flexibility. M’s not entirely sure if they need outfielder or infielders so why not get a couple guys who can do both?
Also like lane thomas for mashin lefties.
Jazz, Lane would be great
Chisholm value is in his ability to play center. He’s worth more to someone else.
And that someone else is Detroit (although I’d prefer Arozarena despite the down year). Given Chishom’s ability to play the IF and Detroit’s penchant for multi-position players I could see how he might fit. Detroit needs offence and Jazz has that going on.
Lane would be a little bit risky but he would be like acquiring NL Taylor ward so he would be a nice above average outfielder
Send Marlowe and Logan Evans? Hancock?
Only one of the names dropped in this article make sense for Seattle and the name that makes the most sense wasn’t mentioned at all.
If a player will cost a lot to acquire and makes a significant salary, ask yourselves if that’s typical of Seattle?
They need a second or third baseman, a corner outfielder, and at least one reliever.
What they don’t need is a high-K player or player without defensive value.
I would suggest they need a high leverage reliever more than they need an above average bat. With Brash out for the season and Santos taking his time coming back from injury, they need a leverage reliever more than a +0.2 WAR bat.
They do.
I’d argue there’s a need for a 6th-7th inning guy as well, but that will likely be Evans.
Two-three hitters. Easier said than done, though.
Ok first things first Seattle had my least favorite deadline last season. They were contenders but chose to sell anyways although admittedly the guys they got back have played well Canzone and Rojas.
I think the Mariners are in a good spot this year. They could use a bat but they have a lot of flexibility on what position they play. They have a good balance of lefties and righties so that’s good. I think they need someone with postseason experience. Maybe Arozarena I know he hasn’t played well but he wouldn’t cost a bunch to acquire.
Arozarena rocks but it’s like he fell off a cliff this year. Still, if my Tigers traded for him I’d be very happy because despite a down year he’s still close to a 20-20 pace. And like you say he’s a postseason stud.
I think the Mariners need upside. They aren’t as good as the Yankees or Orioles on paper so I think they should go for upside. Might be a good fit for the Tigers too if the Tigers can play well over the next month.
As much as I hate to admit it my Tigers might be too far in the hole for the playoffs this year and may end up in selling mode, shipping out Flaherty et al.
The Mariners should cash in their prospect chips because their pitching is awesome.
Yeah still time but not looking great for the Tigers. Flaherty would be popular at the deadline he’s had an excellent season so far. Canha perhaps would get moved too.
Those are the first two that pop in my head. I’d be good if they traded Flaherty and then circled back to him in the offseason, and not repeat the mistake they made by not resigning Lorenzen. When a guy is comfortable somewhere and pitching well latch onto them.
If they could get Arozarena for a good price, yes. But what the M’s really need is a top line leverage reliever.
Jerry’s going to make a trade with Tampa Bay and get Parades to play third and then trade for Alonso to play first…
Paredes would cost a ton. Alonso could be available but I don’t think he’s the best fit and his power would be hurt by the ballpark.
Paredes would require a mid level package and Alonso would also be mid level because he hasn’t heated up for 1 and a half seasons
Paredes for Hancock and Alonso for locklear and Marlowe and Evans
Heck I don’t know what the Mets would ask for Pete
You’re wildly over valuing a 1st baseman on an expiring contract. It shouldn’t take much to get Alonso.
I think we could get him for Harry Ford and Hancock and get Alonso for France and Bliss
France and Bliss for an up and down rental? Pass.
I wouldn’t trade Ford or Hancock for either one of them. Ford is the future catcher and Hancock is a MLB starter now.
I thought most bats that go to Seattle end up falling asleep. MLB needs to juice the balls in Seattle.
I’m sure they’ll just trade for Carlos Santana again…
Exactly! What is for sure is the Mariners won’t trade for someone who can actually help the team. Dipoto thinks if someone is hitting .220, they’re an All-Star
Is this LA Knight?
Yeah!!
Yandy Diaz would be a great fit
I disagree, simply because they have France and Locklear, and Garver is finally getting on track. Not to mention Haniger has actually been best as a DH.
But you definitely have the right team in mind.
I keep waiting for France to get comfortable since returning from the IL, but he’s now 1-29 since his return and Locklear was just optioned (which was expected, of course).
I actually love Yandy. I had him in offseason plans while he was still with Cleveland. But it’s hard to believe Tampa would part with him, even if Seattle look for help at 1B.
We have plenty of resources in the minors to get whoever we want Dipoto just has to make the call if he thinks this is our shot this year because every year is a crap shoot and you never know how your pitching is going to go with with injuries and such so if he can go for it no reason to wait let’s do it they’re called prospects for a reason
It’s not as simple as just having the resources. The prospective partners have to be willing to make a deal.
Tampa is 4 games out of a wild card. I think they line up well for a swap with Seattle, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they wanted controllable, MLB, or MLB-ready players, in a return.
How about France Henry Ford and Cole Young and maybe a low level lottery ticket for Paredes Diaz and Jason Adam
I would be surprised if Seattle trades Ford (Harry Ford, that is. I’m sure Henry is of no use to anyone now). They don’t have Cal extended and may not be able to, but I think Young should be available in a prospective swap.
I think these teams line up fairly well, but with Tampa still in the hunt, it’s hard to see them moving anyone significant.
For the record, if they were willing to sell, I think getting those three would cost a lot more than that.France has no value.
Bliss for Rosário is the kind of swap that might be more realistic right now. Mariner fans would probably flip (in a bad way), but having a veteran you don’t have to platoon could be incredibly valuable down the stretch.
I’d take a flyer on JD Davis.
He was fine for SFG last year until injury June 2023. He can play a good 3B, 1B or DH.
Yes, he wasn’t great in Oaktown but I don’t think he ever got into a groove and wasn’t given a long leash. Also, I think he might be somewhat of a clubhouse cancer; that’s just speculation based on NYM giving him away and SFG releasing him prior to this season.
M’s could do a lot worse and he’d only cost league min.
They’re looking for help, not lottery tickets. They’ve already missed on two infielders and aren’t getting anything from the rookie, Bliss.
If Seattle’s going to clear a roster spot for an incoming bat, it’s likely going to be a proven and currently productive hitter.
Josh Bell?
At a position of need.
First base and DH are not needs for Seattle at the moment.
Bliss is only going to get better.
Dipoto only goes for lottery tickets, and his luck is bad.
Not help imo it should be a huge upgrade or don’t do it at all and roll with what you have.
Well, that’s what I was getting at. It doesn’t make sense for Seattle to get this far and gamble on rebound candidates.
We’ve got some guys we’ll send your way:
-Reds
What would it take for Alexis Diaz and Marte back ?
Honestly I’m surprised no one has mentioned Marte, even if it costs a lot. Take out Diaz though and replace with Sewald for the ultimate reunion. We could use bullpen help, and I’m past ready to move on from Polanco who is just another 2B flop. I’d say Harry Ford, Polanco, and a handful of low A prospects could seal it maybe?
Arizona is in the Wild Card hunt. Same problem (for Seattle) with San Francisco and San Diego. None of them are likely sellers.
Seattle needs to push a chip or two in and go for it this year. I’m not sure when you’re going to get a better shot at this thing. Surprised by Polanco personally, I thought he would be better. Garver may heat up for a while but he hasn’t made his yearly IL visit yet, you can’t count on him. Mariners need two bats plus JRod and Polanco to figure it out. Otherwise I’m not sure how you beat Baltimore or the Yanks in a playoff series.
Anyone with good pitching can win, once you get in. That has been proven for 100 years.
Mariners fans rosterbating over prospects is so comical. We’ve been trained to prospect hoard and yet we can’t make a World Series… Prospects fail more often than succeed. Go get a banner and don’t waste this rotation.
Amen. Prospects flame out on the regular. This might be the time you can sell the highest you’ll ever get for Emerson Hancock, and I’d make Harry Ford available (and extend Cal). Hancock and Ford could get someone nice to introduce to the parents.
The way Cal has been striking out reminds me more, and more of Zunnino. Not Ford he is a better idea,
I’m wary of Cal going forward. Ford is obviously a valuable trade chip and has a price, but he’s one I’d hold onto a little closer, moreso than the other prospects.
Would be nice if any of the players listed in this article were suitable, not injury prone or actually hitting.
Your argument is self deflating man. Waste what rotation? The one that they drafted or acquired when they were prospects and developed into this great rotation that you admire?
Notice how I’m not advocating trading from the established major leaguers? Try and keep up.
The Rockies have a third basemen that makes sense.
Well since the money is said to not be an option how about Arenado and Brendan Donovan for Luzardo Montes? IMO the Cardinals should be looking towards 2026, so that would be a move in the right direction by them and add more offensive and defense to the the Ms. Yes, Nolan has a no trade, but that won’t be an issue for the Cards. It may be an issue for the Ms next year though when they do the Ms thing and try and trade away recently acquired players and shed the payroll.
One big name in the lineup may not make a big difference. Acquisitions are fine but an upgrade in positions by way of roster moves is better. This is possibly a combination of moves or one clearing house move with one accepting trade partner. I will be curious to see how they accomplish this. This being a significant move for them. Now get this right if you please.
I’m sorry Lee, but are you suggesting blowing up the team that is 6 games up on the division?
This article was good for a laugh! When have the M’s added a real bat at the trade deadline? I’ll wait for the responses……
They did add an arm a couple years ago at the deadline in Castillo, but that is the only big deal I can recall in decades at the deadline…..
Holly smokes.
They only add offensive flops at the deadline, or at any other time. Dipoto has no idea what a major league hitter looks like.
Agreed Roller, but who is out there that will put them over the top right now man? Last I checked, the Yankees aren’t trading Judge and even the anemic Angels wouldn’t trade Ohtani last year. Even though they should have.
Well, in half a week, the Mariners have lost 30% of their division lead due to lack of offense. They never learn though.
And right on cue, they scored 9 today.
But your comment is misplaced, or mistimed, because there isn’t much they can do right now. The trade market won’t likely pick up for another 3+ weeks.
And right on cue, they’ve been garbage ever since.
Knowing Stanton he’s viewing our prospects as our main resources.
I’d expect he’s tell Hollander & Dipoto were equal to last years payroll; here’s 5M go make it work. I want to hear a quote from Stanton saying money is no issue this trade deadline.
Resourses just sounds intentionally vague.
I find it curious there’s little to no conversations about the games that are played. It’s as though they don’t exist. It’s like baking a pie you can talk about the recipe all day long but there is no samplings of the pie. Like looking at the games through a binocular. you’re all in the cheap seats.
Well, lately Lee, the soufflé fell apart bro. However, I would stay pat. This is the hardest road trip of the season from a logistics standpoint.
I have a new lineup card for you 1 is Bliss, 2 is Raley 3 is Julio, 4 Cal, 5 is France, 6 is Canzone, 7 Rojas, 8 Polanco, 9 is Crawford. And there you have it. That’s my cherry pie.
I don’t want the M’s to add a bat at the deadline unless they go all in on a superstar. I’m tired of the half measured adds. There is no reason to spend a bunch of our future capital in prospects, to add a guy with a delta of 0.2 WAR over the guy currently at the position. That approach happens all the time and might be the worst logic I’ve ever seen. Sadly, the M’s have done this way too many times over the years. I’m happy to say, they haven’t done it much lately. They have either won or win/win on most of their trades the last few years. I hope they don’t start reaching now.
That star has to be available, though.
There aren’t likely going to be many sellers in the NL and some of the most frequently mentioned names have flaws that wouldn’t mesh well with Seattle.
Contrary to this article and most people in this post, I believe what the M’s need to get most is a proven, solid, backend RP. Brash is out for the season and we are still hoping that Santos will eventually come back and is up to his past form. Outside of Munoz, there is nobody that doesn’t put your hair on end at the end of the game. Stanic has done well, but the others are still a ?