The Mariners’ Ideal Trade Targets at the Deadline
The Mariners may need to focus on quantity over quality as they look to acquire several bats ahead of the trade deadline.
Changes are coming for the Seattle Mariners offense.
It’s a when, not if, changes occur before the July 30 trade deadline. And frankly, there are a lot of positions in need of an upgrade.
This is a ballclub that, despite chasing its first AL West title in 23 years, has the worst team batting average in baseball, the highest strikeout rate in baseball (hitters), a bottom-three OPS and a bottom-ten wRC+.
There’s no sugarcoating it: This offense has been brutal.
So, could the Mariners go out and make a head-turning splash for Luis Robert Jr.? Perhaps. But does one bat fix everything? That’s far from a guarantee, not to mention the larger-than-life trade package the White Sox will be asking for.
The Mariners are in a position where they may need quantity over quality, perhaps looking for three to four bats. And as a result, those players will probably need to be above-average hitters rather than the elites.
Who are those players? Let’s discuss.
Mariners Trade Target: Brandon Lowe – 2B (TBR)
Brandon Lowe has the potential to be a rental but is also club-controllable. He has two club options beyond this year for 2025 and 2026, so the Mariners could stick him into their short-term future plans if they wish.
As a bat, Lowe is exactly what they need. He is destroying the ball this year with a 129 wRC+ to his name, he doesn’t strike out at a sky-high rate (25.9%) and he plays second base, a position at which Seattle has severely lacked production this season. He also consistently barrels up the ball.
The question is, will the Rays sell? They sit at .500, 5.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot.
The Mariners and Rays have made a plethora of trades in years past, but will the Rays throw in the towel on 2024 (to some extent) and move impactful offensive pieces? If they do, Lowe is a perfect fit for the Mariners.
Mariners Trade Target: Michael Conforto – OF (SFG)
In what would be a hometown reunion, Michael Conforto is a straight rental. A free agent after 2024, Conforto has been purely solid for the Giants this season.
Not elite. Not a liability by any means. Just solid. With a 104 wRC+ and a .718 OPS, Conforto has been a consistent bat when on the field. He, much like Lowe, also ranks favorably in HardHit% and Barrel%, two metrics that often signal success that will carry over at T-Mobile Park.
While the Giants are four games back of an NL Wild Card spot, they are also five games under .500. Do they believe this roster can really make a push? If not, then trading Conforto makes logical sense with only two months left on his deal.
For the Mariners, this trade would not cost much and would make for a 23% upgrade over Mitch Haniger and his 81 wRC+.
Mariners Trade Target: Mark Canha – 1B/DH/OF (DET)
Mark Canha was linked to the Mariners a bit in free agency a couple of years ago, and now, with the Tigers leaning toward the sellers’ market, he is a short-term right-handed bat that could give Seattle a lot of versatility.
Canha has been a 103-wRC+ hitter this year with just a .701 OPS. His surface-level numbers are down this year, and his peripherals have taken a big dip, too.
It may not be the perfect fit, but he does play both corner infield spots, both corner outfield spots, can DH, strikes out less than 20% of the time and is inexpensive. Plus, Seattle could use a little bit of additional right-handed production.
Canha may only be right at league-average this year, but if he were to take a roster spot from Haniger or Jonatan Clase in a trade, the offensive upgrade would still be sizable.
Mariners Trade Target: Lane Thomas – OF (WSN)
Lane Thomas is not having the same season that he was enjoying a year ago. His defense has taken a massive drop (-11 DRS, -8 OAA), and he has not had the same power stroke in 2024.
A season ago, Thomas slugged .468 and popped 28 home runs. Now he has just eight bombs to his name with a .396 slugging percentage. That said, he is walking more, striking out at a career-low rate (22.0%) and seldom chases out of the zone.
Thomas, much like some others on this list, has been about an average bat this year (100 wRC+).
But, with the Nationals likely selling and the soon-to-be 29-year-old Thomas unlikely to fit into their future outfield plans, he feels like a potential fit in Seattle. Especially when you factor in his ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark from the right side, and the fact that he is more than a rental with a year and a half left before he reaches free agency.
Mariners Trade Target: Jazz Chisholm Jr. – OF/2B (MIA)
If Seattle was going to make any sort of “headline” acquisition, Jazz Chisholm Jr. would be it. He has two and a half years before free agency, can play both infield and outfield, has some power and will steal bases.
Chisholm is no elite player by any means. He holds just a 104 wRC+ and a .731 OPS. Still, the potential for him to replace an infielder or corner outfielder on the Mariners roster would do more for the team than most realize.
Chisholm could very well finish with a 20-20 season (he’s already swiped 19 bags). His defense has also been plenty serviceable in center field (0 OAA), which makes you think it would uptick if he shifted to a corner in Seattle.
Meanwhile, his second base defense has been very strong over his career (6 OAA in 2021, 3 OAA in 2022), and the keystone is a position the team might ask him to play.
Chisholm’s hard-hit profile is not pretty, but he has upped his walk rate to a career-high (9.0%) and dropped his strikeout rate to a new low (25.2%).
He is not a franchise changer. But Chisholm can absolutely augment the Mariners roster. Plus, he shouldn’t cost that much in a trade, despite having so much remaining team control.
Seattle has been linked to Chisholm a lot over the last couple of weeks. But, actually executing a trade is what has yet to be done.
Closing Thoughts
These may not be the headline moves Mariners fans are eagerly wishing for. But this may be the best course of action for 2024 specifically.
These moves would significantly upgrade the offense without depleting the farm system, and they would give this team a true chance to get into the playoffs and make a run.
If the Mariners can simply get into the dance, there is a world in which their elite rotation can take them the entire way – especially if their offense can just be league-average. Seattle’s 2024 rotation is too good to let go to waste.
The Mariners have to find a way into the postseason field. And adding a flurry of new bats could be the path to getting there.
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