The Seattle Mariners have a pretty clear problem: the lineup needs help. They also have something to work with on the other side of the ledger, because the pitching staff has enough depth to make a trade for a bat feel realistic.
That’s where the Athletics come in, and more specifically, Carlos Cortes.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand pointed to the A’s as a possible trade partner on Friday, noting that the club has a crowd of outfielders and a chance to turn one into pitching depth. In his view, Cortes stands out as the movable piece.
"It may seem odd to suggest that the Athletics could deal away a controllable outfielder, but with Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler, Denzel Clarke, Henry Bolte and Colby Thomas on the roster, there is an opportunity to trade someone such as the 29-year-old Cortes to bring back some much-needed pitching depth," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand wrote in a new article on Friday. "Cortes has seven home runs, 25 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 78 games this season, ranking in the top 11 percent of the league in strikeout rate."
That production would fit into Seattle’s lineup in a pretty straightforward way. Cortes has been a useful hitter this season, and the numbers suggest he could step into a role without forcing the Mariners to reshuffle everything around him.
There’s also a wrinkle that doesn’t show up in the basic stat line: Cortes is a switch-thrower.
He can throw both left-handed and right-handed. He bats left-handed in the outfield, but he also learned to throw right-handed while growing up, which gives him the ability to be used around the infield in theory.
The Athletics haven’t leaned on that much, and it wouldn’t be the headline reason to acquire him before the deadline. Still, it’s a useful extra tool, especially if a team wants another option for late-game moves.
Seattle and Oakland may not be the cleanest trade partners since they’re division rivals, but there’s enough here to make the idea worth considering.
In Other News...
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 🡒]