Should the Mariners Buy, Sell or Do Nothing at the Trade Deadline? (Poll)

Jul 18, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (22) celebrates hitting a two run home run with Kyle Seager (15) against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

The Case for Doing Nothing

The Seattle Mariners have enough raw talent on their roster to make a deep run in October. They have not played that way yet, but there is still time for things to change. Seattle and the Angels are far and away the most dangerous teams on paper in the division. The M’s are 19-20 since June 6th, and are playing better in some aspects.

Seattle has been burdened by players underperforming in 2015. Robinson Cano is the most notable offender, but others have been equally as disappointing. Kyle Seager is a having a nice season overall, but his batting average with runners in scoring position is nearly 100 points lower than last season. The bullpen has been pitiful all year, and Hisashi Iwakuma has looked like a shell of his former self. If these players can perform closer to their career averages, the M’s have a decent chance to get back in the race.

This team is far too talented to blow up. This is a very similar core group to the one that won 87 games in 2014, and missed out on the playoffs by 1 game. Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Felix Hernandez are all under contract for at least the next 4 seasons, which gives Seattle a great chance to make the postseason in the very near future. Players like Brad Miller, Taijuan Walker, Mike Zunino and Carson Smith all have the potential to one day become very strong supporting cast members.

The M’s have typically been sellers during Jack Zduriencik’s tenure, however 2014 was a different story. Jack Z pulled off a couple notable deals that brought Austin Jackson and Chris Denorfia to the Emerald City. The results have been mixed at best for AJ, while Denorfia was a total bust. Trading has never been Zduriencik’s strong suit, and the acquisitions of Welington Castillo and Mark Trumbo earlier this season serve as proof.

The deciding factor could be fan support. It has been a long time since the Mariners were a hot ticket in Seattle. The Mariners have not averaged more than 30,000 fans per game at Safeco Field since 2007. The M’s are averaging 29,250 fans per game this season, which is good for 18th in the league. Ownership is unlikely to alter the course of the franchise dramatically with the recent uptick in fan support.

Next: Verdict/Vote