ADDRESSING THE FANS' DISDAIN FOR THE MARINERS: THE TRADE ACQUISITION ADDITION PART 2.

 

Jerry Dipoto, center and in overalls, assures fans outside of T-Mobile Park that the Mariners are on track, because they believe in themselves. 

By HVH Staff, Canada Day, 2023. 

At this point, even the most optimistic fan understands the focus must now be the future even if there's still a glimmer of hope for 2023 (and that's about what's left: a glimmer). The Seattle Mariners should be firmly in the sellers' camp. The question is, who should be made available? We're not going to suggest anything too outrageous (keyword: too), we still believe the core of this team must remain intact and that goes well beyond Julio, Luis, JP and Cal. But, there are some fan-favorites that may not fit into the long-term...or even the short-term. 

There's no denying Seattle's success with pitching. Their ability to fix, develop, and attract pitching makes this the ideal area in which to address other needs. That doesn't mean fielders should be off-limits, but it's undoubtedly the arms that would net the best returns. 

Anyway, we're not going to speculate about specific packages, we'll leave that open for debate. Instead, we're posting lists of players we think should be available and some players we would target. Here they are, in no particular order...

The available:

1. Bryce Miller, RHP

Moving Miller would tick off fans, but with Woo settling in nicely and poised for an enormous 2024, and Hancock wrapping up an excellent June en route to his MLB debut, Seattle can spare the currently most valuable of the three and perhaps find another stopgap starter if necessary. 

2. Matt Brash, RHP

We're not suggesting they move Brash because we think he's bad. We're suggesting he be made available because his 38.1 K% and ridiculously bad BABIP of .474 will tell teams his ERA means little. He can shut-down virtually anyone. That might be worth the sacrifice of a damn good prospect.

3. Trevor Gott, RHP 

Gott has had a solid 2023 with Seattle, but he has just one more year of control and he's the kind of reliever they could easily replace in the offseason, if not with an internal option before then, such as Prelander Berroa, who has thrown 8 innings in 7 outings in June, with zero runs, earned or otherwise, and struck out 11. 

4. Any other reliever not named Sewald, Muñoz, Topa, or Berroa.

Seattle's remaining relievers probably won't be in high-demand, nor net Seattle a great (or even good) prospect, but one of them may tip the scales just enough to get a bigger deal done. 

5. Eugenio Suárez, 3B

The 'good vibes' Mariner has regressed significantly, but his defense has played huge and he's still a legitimate power threat. That could do wonders for a couple of specific contenders, specifically the one that misses out on Candelario. For Seattle, it would free-up some salary for next season and create an opportunity for a new acquisition. It would be tough to see him go, he's one of the most likeable Mariners, but if a deal's there, sending him to a contender and preparing for the long-term would probably be in Seattle's best interests. 

6. Jarred Kelenic, OF

Jarred's hot start cooled off significantly, and he's in an adjustment phase, but like Suárez, the power and defense are there. He's also controllable through 2028, so a team that can deal with the strike outs better than Seattle could have themselves a solid player that still has star potential. Seattle's outfield corners and bench would be getting an overhaul pretty quick, but we'd argue that's exactly one of the things that needs to happen. 

7. Teoscar Hernández, OF

The most obvious of the available players, Teo had his traditional slow start and has now wrapped up a blazing June. He's a rental, but pairing him with an arm could possibly net Seattle a future star. 

The primary targets:

1. Jordan Lawlar, SS, Arizona

Jordan isn't exactly blocked in Arizona, he could move to third base or inherit second as Marte slides into more of a DH/utility role. But with a legitimate shot at a World Series, and the possibility of getting an excellent, young starter in the return (and then some), they have to at least consider parting with Lawlar. Consider this one of the less likely players to get moved, but he's the type of player Seattle should be aiming for, in our humble opinion(s).

2. Sal Frelick, OF, Milwaukee

Sal is a perfect example of a prospect that controls the zone. The power hasn't came around as scouts anticipated, but he can hit, get on base, and steal another while offering solid defense. Perhaps an offseason at Driveline could help with the missing pop. He will likely debut this year, perhaps even before the end of July.

3. Tyler Black, 2B, Milwaukee

Arguably an under-the-radar second base prospect, Black is another scrappy speedster in the Brewers' system that could debut at some point in 2024. He has dominated RHPs like few others in the minors, but struggles a bit with lefties, so he might be more of a platoon bat, but that could work out nicely paired with Caballero. 

4. Junior Caminero, 3B,  Tampa

Junior's one of the best third base prospects in baseball. Though he got off to a slow start in AA, he's just 19 and has already adjusted. He's another prospect that likely needs another year or more of development, but he could prove to be an excellent long-term solution for the hot corner. 

5. Jonathan Aranda, INF, Tampa

We've heard all the gripes. AAAA player, lacks speed, bad defense...well, we don't care. He has dominated AAA in nearly all the right ways. His debut for Seattle would be immediate and putting him to work with Perry Hill ASAP could shape him into a respectable, regular second baseman for 2024. 

6. Luis Matos, OF, San Francisco

Another under-the-radar prospect, Matos found himself promoted to the big-league club in wake of Haniger's injury. He's a hit-over-power defensive outfielder, and though that may not interest Mariner fans, we would challenge them to take a good look at what Seattle's bench has done for the outfield. 

7. Nick Madrigal, 2B, Chicago

One of the elite contact-hitters in baseball, Nick has had a mixed bag of results, largely due to injuries. But he's healthy now and starting to look very much like the hitter he was projected to be. Chicago may not be keen on moving him, but he doesn't have a regular role and their need for pitching, and/or maybe a power-boost, may lead them to consider a swap if they believe they still have a shot at the NL Central title (they do, for now).

***

We're generally not interested in fair trades that would net Seattle proven MLB bats with limited or equal control. This really is the time to sell high on the players they can afford to move, or need to move. That doesn't mean they should take what they can get, or that we won't see veteran MLB players. We just want to reiterate what we feel the focus should be, which is nabbing potential stars / players with plus hit tools to move forward with. 

This absolutely could be considered a step back, or a half-step back, and at this point, it is probably necessary. If they couldn't properly address the same needs last offseason with a deep free agent class, it certainly isn't going to be any easier with teams turning to the trade market this offseason because of the weak upcoming free agent class. 

That may sound like an argument for balanced swaps now. It's not. Though there might be an equal exchange that makes sense, again, this could be an opportunity to really take advantage of the market. It could prove vital for Seattle's long-term outlook given the self-imposed budget restraints. 

It should go without saying that other players should be available and that some of these names may not be. 

Whatever happens, we think they can, we think they can, have a brighter future. Certainly hope so, anyway.

Notes

*We're not advocating for players like Brash and Miller to be traded. We simply recognize the likely high demand for their skills. We're not even suggesting they're available, but Seattle should certainly listen. If this angers you, please express yourself accordingly in the comments and be prepared for a rebuttal. 

*The targets range from MLB-ready to projected 2025 debuts. If we weren't clear before, we're suggesting they be open to a possibly delayed return to contention. Prospects need time to settle in. We haven't forgotten that, and some of them may not cut it. Worth noting, the 2025 free agent class is far more promising than 2024's. 

*Despite our reasoning behind this suggested approach, we're not anticipating significant turnover. Teo's the only player we really expect to be moved. Anything really significant would actually be a little surprising. As we've said many time before, we aim to entertain.