The Mariners have gotten off to a strong start this season with a 47-38 record that places them firmly in the driver’s seat of the AL West division race, 4.5 games ahead of the second place Astros. Given that solid position in the standings as the second half gets underway, it’s hardly surprising that Seattle plans to add to their team ahead of the trade deadline, which is scheduled for exactly one month from today on July 30. Reporting last week indicated that the Mariners plan to be “aggressive” in improving their offense this summer, and today a report from MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi added additional details regarding the club’s plans. Per Morosi, the Mariners have already begun exploring possible trades with other clubs and are currently prioritizing the addition of one everyday hitter, as well as help in the bullpen.
It’s certainly sensible for Seattle to look for upgrades in those areas. Despite their solid record, the club has not generated much offense this year, ranking 21st in the majors with a 94 wRC+ that’s identical to that of the lowly Athletics. Perhaps most concerning for a club that actively attempted to add more contact-oriented bats to their offense over the winter is the fact that they lead the majors with a 27.9% strikeout rate while getting on base at a clip of just .298, sixth from the bottom among all clubs.
The Mariners will surely be relying on internal improvements to spark the offense on at least some level with key pieces like Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, and J.P. Crawford hitting far below expectations, but even assuming core players like that trio remain in everyday roles there’s still plenty of room for the club to improve externally. Of the club’s 11 hitters with at least 100 trips to the plate under their belts this year, only Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore, and Luke Raley have posted a wRC+ more than 5% better than league average. Even then, Moore is a part-time player who has started just 17 of the club’s 27 games this month while Rojas has slashed just .230/.283/.323 after a scorching hot April.
Given the extreme dearth of offensive impact all over the roster, the Mariners shouldn’t be limited to any specific position in their search for offensive upgrades. Raleigh and Mitch Garver figure to continue serving as the club’s tandem behind the plate, Rodriguez figures to continue manning center field, and Crawford figures to remain at shortstop, but there’s plenty of flexibility elsewhere on the roster to accommodate an impactful offensive addition. It’s easy, for example, to imagine Seattle making room for White Sox veteran Tommy Pham and his 112 wRC+ alongside Raley, Mitch Haniger, and Dominic Canzone in their corner outfield mix, and as more teams inevitably make the decision to sell as the deadline approaches, it’s at least possible to imagine higher-profile players such as Cody Bellinger of the Cubs, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays, or Brandon Lowe of the Rays becoming available.
The bullpen, on the other hand, isn’t in quite as dire a situation in Seattle as the offense is. The club’s relievers rank 15th in the majors with a 3.86 ERA, but more advanced metrics like FIP (12th), xFIP (8th), and SIERA (7th) all indicate that the Mariners’ relief corps is stronger than that middling performance would otherwise indicate. That’s thanks in no small part to the fact that they’ve struck out a whopping 25.1% of batters faced this year, good for fourth among all MLB clubs. Seattle also benefits from having the freshest group of bullpen arms in the majors; no team has leaned on their relievers less often than the Mariners, who have only drawn 254 innings of work from their entire bullpen.
That said, virtually any contender can benefit from adding depth to their bullpen mix, and the Mariners are no exception. That’s particularly true given the rash of injuries the club’s relievers have faced in the first half. Back-end arms Matt Brash, Gregory Santos, and Gabe Speier have all missed significant time this year. While Santos and Speier both still figure to contribute this year, Brash is now expected to miss the entire campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery last month.
Giving manager Scott Servais another quality option to pair with Andres Munoz and Ryne Stanek in the late innings, particularly one that throws from the left side, would make plenty of sense for the Mariners. Marlins lefty Tanner Scott is likely to be the best lefty bullpen arm available this summer, but T.J. McFarland of the A’s, Matt Moore of the Angels, and Andrew Chafin of the Tigers are among the other pieces who could potentially be available in the coming weeks.
