5 impact RH hitters for Mariners to target in trades, and 1 to stay away from

The Seattle Mariners might need to add two right-handed bats this winter. One will hopefully be as good as Randy Arozarena, and it's highly possible that solutions will have to come from the trade market and not free agency. Not exactly the easiest task for Jerry Dipoto.

It's not all bad, though. The Mariners have both spending flexibility and loads of trade capital working in their favor this winter. And while good right-handed hitters are hard to find in today's MLB, some that could conceivably be available this offseason have what the Mariners need.

So, let's run through some hypothetical options… before stopping in our tracks at one the team must avoid like the plague.

Mariners should have their eye on these 5 impact hitters for their RHB need

RF Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves

Acuña to the Mariners? Yeah, it's come up before. Yet it's only ever been in speculative fashion, and now might not be the best time for the Braves to pursue the idea. Acuña has had trouble staying healthy and productive since winning the NL MVP in 2023, producing 5.0 rWAR in 251 games over the last three seasons. He had 8.4 rWAR in 2023 alone, to go along with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases.

Or, maybe it's the perfect time to trade Acuña? Since he's still just 28 years old with club options for 2027 and 2028, he's in that sweet spot between having diminished stock and still having very real superstar upside. The Braves also need starting pitching, which the Mariners have in ample supply.

C Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies

If you're thinking that the Mariners already have a really good catcher, well, you're not wrong. But it's best to think of Goodman as a potential super-Mitch Garver, who could share time with Cal Raleigh at catcher while otherwise DH'ing on a regular basis.

The Rockies were reportedly asking for teams' No. 1 prospects in Goodman negotiations during the summer. If they stick to that this winter, that would mean either Kade Anderson or Ryan Sloan for the Mariners. Even then, Dipoto would have to consider not immediately hanging up. Goodman has slammed 72 home runs (with an .843 OPS away from Coors Field, no less) across the last two seasons. He's 27 and under club control through 2029.

3B Miguel Vargas, Chicago White Sox

With the White Sox reportedly looking to bolster their starting rotation, we've already covered how they and the Mariners might be able to help each other. Because he's coming off an All-Star season and is controlled through 2029, Vargas would likely be the hardest of Chicago's infielders to get.

Then again, a season with 33 home runs, 22 stolen bases and a 134 OPS+ does make for a pretty good Arozarena impression for the Mariners to covet. And even if he's not particularly good at third base, Vargas is ultimately playable at the hot corner. The Mariners could use an upgrade there.

3B Coby Mayo, Baltimore Orioles

Isaac Paredes was a possibility for this list, but the chances of the Mariners making an impact trade with the Houston Astros seem slim. And besides, Mayo looks like a younger, potentially more dangerous version of Paredes.

Paredes is all about pull power from the right side of the plate, and Mayo is too. He also tightened up his approach in the second half, upping his walk rate and lowering his strikeout rate to arrive at a 145 wRC+. Even though he's just 24 and controlled through 2031, the Orioles' infield surplus might make the former top prospect available for the cost of starting pitcher plus a little extra.

SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are another AL West rival, but the chances of them being willing to deal with the Mariners seem a touch higher than those of the Astros. They're in a transitional era, marked by long overdue leadership changes in the front office under John Mozeliak and in the owner's box, where Stan Kroenke will soon take the reins from Arte Moreno.

FanSided's Robert Murray posits that Neto will be a trade candidate this winter, and surely a highly valued one after posting a 118 OPS+ with 27 home runs and 24 stolen bases this season. He's also just 25 and controlled through 2029. The Mariners have the goods to afford his price, and there would be an easy solution for what to do with Colt Emerson: move him to third base full-time.

The Mariners need to avoid making the same mistake twice with Teoscar Hernández

As for the elephant in the room, there has indeed been some recent buzz about the Los Angeles Dodgers potentially shopping Teoscar Hernández this winter.

"I think the best you do in this case is maybe get salary relief and a depth starter or a low-leverage bullpen arm," a rival executive told FanSided's John Perroto.

Perrotto even pitched a one-for-one swap involving Carlos Vargas. But since we're all thinking it, here it is: Seattle has been down this road before, and the journey was no fun for anyone.

Hernández wasn't bad when he was with the Mariners in 2023, but they did expect better than a 108 OPS+. The problem was T-Mobile Park, where he had a .643 OPS compared to an .830 OPS on the road. He said he never felt right at the plate when hitting in Seattle.

That was when Hernández was 30 years old and coming off three terrific seasons in Toronto. He's now 34, and he's coming off a 2026 campaign that only yielded a 108 OPS+ and 16 home runs in 125 games. Whatever the Mariners would stand to get this time around, it wouldn't be his best.

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