3 Silver Slugger finalists reportedly on Mariners’ trade radar, and 2 who should be

FanSided had the honor of revealing the finalists for the 2026 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger awards last week, and we're now just a few days from learning the winners on November 17. Randy Arozarena is all but certain to be among them, so it's too bad he's also all but certain to be a former Seattle Mariner before long.

So, let's shift the vibe: Which Silver Slugger finalists could become a future member of the Mariners?

This calls for a more thorough discussion of finalists who should be on the Mariners' trade radar, starting with three infielders who were tabbed by Adam Jude of The Seattle Times as actual trade candidates of interest to the club.

These 3 Silver Slugger finalists are already on the Mariners' radar

SS Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins

This time last year, Otto Lopez wasn't known for providing much offense to go with his strong defense at shortstop. He entered 2026 with a career .260/.312/.374 slash line and 90 OPS+, with the latter marking him as 10 percent worse than the average hitter.

Well, here we are in the aftermath of a 2026 season in which he slashed .305/.349/.437 with an MLB-high 191 hits. He's a high-contact hitter who can make things happen on the bases, so he's a good target for Jerry Dipoto if he wants to add some Milwaukee Brewers-style diversity to the Mariners' offensive approach.

Yet despite earlier reporting that the Marlins are willing to listen on Lopez, Jude hears that the Fish aren't motivated to deal. And even if the Mariners do want to improve their defense more than their offense, the question of whether Lopez's offensive breakout is a fluke should give everyone pause. The risk of paying a star price for a glove-only player is real indeed.

SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels

Contrary to Lopez, Zach Neto comes with a rap sheet as an impact offensive player. He's topped 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in each of the last three seasons, all while staying close to an overall 117 OPS+ for the last three years as a whole.

Neto's flaw is that he swings and misses a lot, as he landed in the bottom 10 percent of hitters with his whiff and strikeout rates this year. There's also a split opinion on his defense, with Defensive Runs Saved (+35) and Outs Above Average (-20) painting wildly different pictures.

Where the Mariners are concerned, the real question is how aggressive they want to get chasing a blockbuster trade with an AL West rival. There are workable concepts, but all come with some risk of having the players who go to Anaheim coming back to haunt the Mariners.

SS Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds

Yeah, this is the guy we want. We're probably not alone there. And for what it's worth, the Reds aren't a firm "no" on trading him.

Before 2026, you could have made the case that Elly De La Cruz was more sizzle than steak. But this year put the kibosh on that, as it's ultimately hard to argue with a 142 OPS+, 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. And his Statcast profile? Holy smokes. Lotta red over there.

Still, nobody thinks of a De La Cruz trade as anything other than a long shot. And that may be especially true if the Mariners want no part of parting with pitching prospect Ryan Sloan, which Jude reports is indeed the case. He and Kade Anderson are the only Mariners prospects worthy of De La Cruz, and Anderson is presumably just as untouchable.

2 more Silver Slugger finalists who should be on the Mariners' radar

C Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies

Because Cal Raleigh A) exists and B) is really good, Hunter Goodman isn't as natural a fit for the Mariners as he is for other suitors. They'd have to mostly use him as a designated hitter, which puts them at a disadvantage since the Rockies are sure to want catcher rates for him in trade offers.

Even so, the Mariners need a right-handed hitter so bad that they can't just close the door on one who has hit 72 home runs across the last two seasons. And 43 of those have come away from Coors Field, allowing for some optimism that Goodman's power could play even at T-Mobile Park.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, rival teams believe the Rockies are more willing to move Goodman now than they were during the summer. Hopefully, that also means they no longer need a team's No. 1 prospect to be convinced.

LF Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers

Riley Greene plays the same position as Arozarena, so he's a fit as a potential replacement in that respect. The problem is that Greene is left-handed, whereas the Mariners need at least one righty hitter if they're going to account for Arozarena's presence in the lineup.

Greene is already a one-time Silver Slugger, however, and he showed this year that he's not a one-trick act. His Silver Slugger win in 2025 was pretty much all thanks to his 36 home runs. He only hit 21 this year, but upped his OBP to .370 and did so much better against lefties to the tune of a 129 wRC+.

As with De La Cruz, the Tigers are not closing their door to trade offers for Greene. And sans Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty in their rotation, there could be an avenue for an arm-for-bat trade between Detroit and Seattle.

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