The Seattle Mariners have a clear problem, and it starts with the right side of the plate. They need another right-handed bat, and the current answer has not been enough.
Rob Refsnyder’s .422 OPS before he landed on the injured list simply wasn’t moving the needle. That’s part of why Bleacher Report’s Kery Miller pointed out just how ugly the numbers have been for Seattle against left-handed pitching.
"Thanks in large part to both Cal Raleigh and Rob Refsnyder looking like shells of their former selves, the Mariners have an MLB-worst .622 OPS against left-handed pitching this season," Miller wrote Friday.
If the postseason began today, Seattle would be sitting as the American League’s third and final Wild Card team. Miller sees a tough path from there.
"And with that in mind, there's a plausible nightmare scenario brewing in which they'll be the No. 3 seed, drawing No. 6 seed Detroit in the wild card round and needing to deal with both Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez immediately," Miller added.
His answer is a trade with the Chicago Cubs, one that would bring in outfielder Seiya Suzuki and send right-hander Luis Castillo the other way.
"Miller's trade idea sends right-hander Luis Castillo to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Seiya Suzuki."
Suzuki would give Seattle exactly the kind of production it has been missing against lefties. Miller noted that "Suzuki has a career .840 OPS against LHP and would become an everyday fixture at RF/DH for the M's."
The Cubs outfielder has already launched 15 home runs this season, and he set a career high with 32 in 2025. While he’s more of a DH at this stage, Seattle could still make the defensive setup work if the payoff is more power in the lineup.
Castillo is the piece that makes the proposal possible. The Mariners have six starters worthy of a rotation spot, and he may be the most likely one to move.
There is one obvious wrinkle: Suzuki has a full no-trade clause. Still, Miller pointed out that the money lines up closely enough to make the idea workable.
"Notably, Suzuki has a full no-trade clause while Castillo has at least one year left on his contract," Miller added. "But the salary figures-Suzuki making $18M; Castillo making $22.75M-are close enough that the "2026 finances" portion of the considerations shouldn't present much of a hurdle."
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