With many offensive issues present, the trade deadline will be complicated for the Seattle Mariners
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – With the struggles and general mediocrity that the Seattle Mariners have produced during a 2023 season that many hoped would be another step forward after the team busted their 20+ year playoff drought, the solution to their problems won’t be one trade. Adding just one bat cannot and will not solve the problems that the Mariners have at the plate, considering that their lineup is largely inconsistent and there is no one player that can turn their fortunes around offensively. With Seattle’s pitching, that’s been the driving factor in the success that the team has seen their past few years, isn’t on its game, the team’s chances of winning plumet considering their lack of any real progress and improvement on offense since the early months of the season. So, for the clamors and cries for the front office to “do something,” the Mariners likely won’t be able to swing things in their favor with moves this year, and any chance of a playoff appearance this season will be because the team figured things out internally.
“It’s a very average offensive team and we have to find a way to become better than average. It’s going to require some creative moves because we don’t have the next wave of bats at AAA ready to come and push us over that edge.”
Kolten Wong in the Seattle Mariners vs St. Louis Cardinals game on April 22nd, 2023 (Photo by Mathew Bermudez)
Outside of second base, where do you add?
While the second base position has been a major area of disappointment on both ends, offensively and defensively, it’s hard to find another area that this team can improve with a trade. Kolten Wong hasn’t been able to revitalize himself at the plate or in the field as he had hoped and talked about this offseason, and while Jose Caballero has played fine, he hasn’t been much outside of that. He’s provided value and some form of stability at the plate but has largely been disappointing after somewhat bursting onto the stage. Maybe it was because fans were so angry with Kolten Wong, they saw an average player replace him and became enamored with him. The WAR is there, the stolen bases there, but other areas at the plate are lacking.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jose Caballero has provided some solid appearances, but doesn’t appear to be the long term solution at second base (Photo by Mathew Bermudez)
The only other real option that isn’t necessarily an exaggeration to try and address would be the backup catcher spot, as overall Tom Murphy hasn’t been the best option whether it’s behind the dish or at the plate, but his recent form might be enough to warrant that his spot is safe. After this season at least, I’d like to see the Mariners find a better solution at the backup catcher spot than Murphy to pair with Cal Raleigh, but it seems unlikely that will be solved this year. There have been cries for the team to add a first baseman considering Ty France’s hitting struggles, but that issue seems more like one Ty himself will need to figure out rather than wasting resources on it.
Prior to the injury to Jarred Kelenic, this question was easy to answer, there isn’t another area to improve that’s needed besides second base. Now, with Kelenic out for at least a month likely, the Mariners technically COULD look to get someone to fill his spot in, but considering that they called up Cade Marlowe as a corresponding move and have a couple other options down in AAA, it’s pretty unlikely that Seattle uses resources to acquire what will essentially become a placeholder when Kelenic returns to action from that left foot fracture.
The Seattle Mariners could still possibly acquire superstar Shohei Ohtani, but it likely won’t come via trade (Photo by Mathew Bermudez)
Shohei’s to Seattle unlikely this season
While the Los Angeles Angels are reportedly “listening” to offers on superstar Shohei Ohtani after they didn’t plan to, it’s highly unlikely that the Mariners will trade for him during the season for a few reasons. It’s unlikely that the Angels would trade him within the division, and it’s also unlikely that the Mariners would give up the sort of trade package that they’re looking for unless a long-term contract is in place when they hypothetically acquire Ohtani. With Los Angeles reportedly looking for numerous top-100 prospects, Seattle certainly has that, but the front office has discussed how they don’t like to make a big trade unless they know they can keep that player for years to come. The best-case scenario for the Mariners to bring Shohei to Seattle is in free agency, when they don’t have to sacrifice their farm system and instead pay him, and the front office should not spare any expense.
Pitching should be solid (for now)
While it’s entirely obvious that the team needs to focus on the offensive end of things if they are going to make any real moves at the trade deadline, the idea that the Mariners should land any pitching outside of MAYBE a bullpen arm to bolster that group is silly. Seattle’s starting pitching depth has been shown over the course of the season, with the call ups of Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo sticking after they came in to replace Robbie Ray (out for the season) and Marco Gonzales (currently in limbo). While it’s currently unclear what sort of timeline that Marco has on a return, Seattle shouldn’t feel the need to add any starting pitching simply because of Woo’s poor start yesterday or because a pitcher like Marcus Stroman and his strong season so far may be available.
Taking that into consideration plus the fact that the team has that aforementioned starting pitching depth, which includes young Emerson Hancock still making his way through the team's minor league system, leaves a very low chance that the team spends resources to bring in a pitcher before this season's deadline. With a few veterans and players that have been within their system for a few years to call up as well if they need to (See Tommy Milone, Darren McCaughan), the Mariners have no need to bring in another big arm and if they do, it creates even more of a log jam next season. Next Spring Training, Seattle has the following players who are starting caliber: Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, Marco Gonzales, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo with Emerson Hancock continuing to be on the come up in the farm system. Either Miller and Woo go back into the farm system or moves will be made.
Young farm system still growing, only a few real trade pieces
Typically, prospects are traded when they’ve already established themselves a bit and shown that whatever sort of hype got the attention of the team that acquired them (via the draft or international signing pool) was legitimate and with reason. Seattle traded away most of the prospects that fit that description this past season when they acquired Luis Castillo and, in the deal to get Eugenio Suarez and now Milwaukee Brewer Jesse Winker. With a fresh farm system that is currently growing (See Harry Ford, Jonatan Clase, Cole Young, Gabriel Gonzalez) plus this year's draft class, it’s not like those prospects are necessarily in high demand. Emerson Hancock is the name that comes to mind considering what we’ve already talked about with the team’s starting pitching depth, and I’d almost say that it’s likely that he will get moved, but if that happens, he’ll be part of a package.
If we’re trying to keep some eye towards the future while also trying to succeed now, it’s difficult to stay one way or the other. If you’re going to acquire top end talent via trade, it almost always require you to give away some of your prospects. It’s natural in trades across sports, if you want to win now you have to give up some of your future. If Seattle is to trade some of their prospects, it should stay at that, some. Not trading away the farm as a whole, as the Mariners are just recently getting into rebuilding that minor league system with prospects that will help them sustain winning and hopefully represent a new era of baseball for this franchise that can be taught by the players that we consider young now.
What’s next?
The Mariners continue a crucial homestand and general stretch ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline, which is on August 1st. Seattle has already been linked to the St. Louis Cardinals for a possible trade of Logan Gilbert to the NL Central team, who is looking to sell this season in order to compete next year with a major emphasis on pitching. Considering Gilbert’s youth and the improvements that he continues to make, it seems somewhat silly that the Mariners would trade the young right hander, but who knows what can happen with the front office of Justin Hollander and Jerry Dipoto. Regardless of that rumor, Seattle needs a miracle of a trade deadline to change their fortunes, if they’re going to make that happen and depending on what takes place leading into that deadline.