With the trade deadline getting closer, the Seattle Mariners have a pretty clear shopping list: they need another right-handed bat.
That need is part of the reason a deal with the Chicago Cubs makes sense. Seattle has the kind of pitching depth that could help it land a hitter, while Chicago is looking for more starting help. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon pointed to right-handers Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock as possible fits for the Cubs.
If the two sides do line up on a deal, the next question is simple: which Cubs hitters could Seattle want back?
Rosenthal and Sammon noted that the Cubs, after already adding left-hander David Peterson and righty Aaron Civale while trying to piece together their rotation, “seemingly would be a team interested in Hancock.”
They also identified three right-handed Cubs bats that could be on Seattle’s radar: right fielder Seiya Suzuki, infielder/outfielder Matt Shaw and outfielder Kevin Alcántara.
Suzuki would be the prize of the group. He’s hitting .270/.358/.478 with 17 home runs and an .837 OPS, production that would be a clear step up from Rob Refsnyder, who has struggled badly at the plate.
The catch is cost. Chicago is still in contention, so moving Suzuki would almost certainly require a significant return.
That leaves Shaw and Alcántara as the more realistic names for Seattle to monitor. Both are middling prospects who haven’t fully matched the hype, which could make them more affordable trade targets for the Mariners.
In Other News...
Mariners May Have Found A Sneaky Bat Worth Watching
The Mariners have spent much of the summer looking for ways to deepen a lineup that could still use another bat, and their pitching surplus gives them a possible path to do it. If Seattle decides to move an arm, the Athletics could be a logical match, since Oakland has more outfielders than it can comfortably play and one of the names in that mix has quietly put together a useful season.
Carlos Cortes has been one of the more interesting pieces in that group, giving Oakland a left-handed bat with enough production to draw notice from teams hunting for offense. He has 7 home runs, 25 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 78 games, along with a strikeout rate that sits among the better marks in the league, which is the kind of profile that can make a player pop on a contenders radar even before the trade market really starts to move. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Already Have Their Trade Deadline Bat In House
The Mariners have spent much of the summer searching for a right-handed bat who can do damage against left-handed pitching, and the numbers have made the need obvious. Seattle has lagged badly in that split, which is why the front office has been linked to outside help as the trade deadline approaches, but there is at least one internal option making the conversation a little more interesting.
Michael Arroyo has pushed his way into the picture with a strong return from injury, producing at both Double-A and Triple-A while showing the kind of bat that can force a team to reconsider its plans. The 21-year-old has also moved around enough this season, handling second base, left field and designated hitter, which gives Seattle some ways to fit him into the mix if it decides the answer might already be on hand rather than coming from the market. [Read more 🡒]
Julio Opens Up On Health Scare As Mariners Face Surprise Change
Julio Rodrguez had a little off-field levity at Globe Life Field on top of everything else, handing out new batting practice shirts featuring Jimothy, the viral Seattle-area raccoon. It fit a week in which Rodrguez has been back in center field after the concussion injured list and trying to help keep the Mariners in the thick of a tight American League West race.
The bigger surprise around the club came with the decision to relieve assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes of his duties, a move Rodrguez said caught him off guard. He described Magallanes as a friend and a really good coach who supported him a lot, which adds another layer to a season already marked by Rodrguezs return to form and a clubhouse trying to absorb change while the games keep carrying real weight. [Read more 🡒]