The best Seattle Mariners trade is getting the real Jarred Kelenic

Here at Sodo Mojo, we have been heavily focused on the trade deadline because why not? But, the Seattle Mariners might not even need to make a trade to get better. The best acquisition could come internally in the form of Jarred Kelenic and others.

Imagine how much better the Seattle Mariners would be with “the real” Jarred Kelenic

I know a .104 batting average and a -1.1 WAR aren’t very promising, but it’s too early to give up. The former 6th overall pick is 22-years-old for crying out loud. He just turned 22 on July 16th. If people were seriously worried about Jarred Kelenic, he wouldn’t be the 4th overall prospect on MLB.com and the 3rd overall prospect on FanGraphs.

So, it’s important to be patient with Kelenic and cheer him on rather than boo him. He has a 65 hit and 60 power grade for a reason. It’s not like someone just randomly chose those numbers.

That being said, imagine how impactful he could be once he turns the corner. He only has two home runs on the season right now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes the season with 15 long balls. Kelenic could also end with 15 steals, a .225 batting average, and improve his WAR to a positive number.

You might think I am crazy but I really believe in him. Momentum and confidence are contagious. Based on how the team is playing, that momentum is only going to help a young kid like Kelenic improve.

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Jarred Kelenic isn’t the only internal “acquisition” that helps the Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners have been without Jake Fraley for a little while after he tested positive for COVID-19 nearly a week ago. So once he is healthy, he adds some speed and sneaky pop to the lineup. Fraley will also sure up left field which has been manned by Jake Bauers and Shed Long Jr. as of late.

Further down the line, Justin Dunn and Justus Sheffield are working their way back to the mound. Both are scheduled to throw off a mound in the coming days.

And we also have some solid options in Triple-A Tacoma. Remember Taylor Trammell? He’s been doing pretty well for the Tacoma Rainiers and has a .291 batting average with seven home runs, and four stolen bases. Trammell is another prospect that struggled in the big leagues but he’s young, and he could be a really great addition late in the season.

Jose Marmolejos has also been killing it in Tacoma. He owns a .346 batting average and has hit a team-leading 16 home runs. It’s hard to tell whether Marmo is just taking advantage of a hitter-friendly league, or whether he made some adjustments and it’s paying off. If the Seattle Mariners want a big bat, Marmolejos could be someone they call upon.

A longshot Seattle Mariners reinforcement

I think it is pretty unlikely that we will see Julio Rodriguez in a Seattle Mariners uniform at the end of the season, but it’s not completely out of the picture. Jerry Dipoto has talked about adding a right-handed bat this week, but maybe the solution is calling up Julio Rodriguez later in the season.

At Everett and Arkansas combined, Julio has a .311 batting average, hit nine home runs, and stolen seven bases. Unfortunately for the Mariners, they cannot call up Julio Rodriguez tomorrow if they wanted to because he’s in Tokyo.

With all that being said, I don’t think it’s a necessity to acquire a player even though there are certainly some good players on the trade block. At the same time, adding a star-caliber player wouldn’t hurt if we don’t give up too much.

But, my eyes are on Jarred Kelenic and I think he is the key to whether the Seattle Mariners make the playoffs or not.