Ideal Mariners trade target from familiar partner just bolstered his All-Star resumé

The majority of fans who follow the Mariners realize the bullpen is in need of some urgent help ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Last week we identified Riley O'Brien as an enticing target to pursue. Now he's expected to be even more attractive option, as a result of earning an All-Star selection for the NL roster.

As reported by Derrick Gold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, O'Brien was added to the NL roster on Tuesday as a pitching replacement. It represents his first All-Star selection and is richly deserved. His 22 saves from 26 opportunities are one off the NL lead and he only has one blown save since May 10.

On a surface level some might contend the Mariners don't need relief reinforcements, with the bullpen ranking fifth in the majors with a 3.52 team ERA. In reality this is fool's gold, with the M's barely hanging on, not helped by being down three injured arms in Matt Brash, Carlas Vargas and Cooper Criswell. None are expected back until August, and the bullpen can't go on like this.

Sure, Dan Wilson's in-game bullpen decision have been baffling at times, highlighted by the recent capitulation in the road rubber match versus the Guardians. However, the relievers themselves have been a collective issue in their own right, with the latest such example coming when the bullpen blew it on Tuesday night in Miami. This is where O'Brien can help.

Riley O'Brien makes sense for a number of reasons for the Mariners bullpen

Coming off a career-year last season, O'Brien is having another strong campaign in St. Louis, with a 3.72 ERA and 1.156 WHIP. His main weapon is his sinker, which he's throwing at a career-best 98.3 mph. The righty has good control and is particularly dominate versus right-handed bats, with a .190 opposing batting average and .525 OPS.

O'Brien is mainly a ground-ball guy, with him ranking in the 95th percentile for GB%. However, he does have an appealing 48.6 Whiff% on the sweeper, so it's feasible the Mariners can take advantage of this by encouraging him to throw it more. On top of everything else, he would provide reliable cover for Andrés Muñoz who, even with his recent improvement, still doesn't make fans feel safe whenever he's on the mound.

Despite all this, there is the understandable issue of if the Cardinals will even want to do business, with O'Brien under club control through 2030. Part of this decision could be influenced by how the team performs between now and the trade deadline. They've hung in there for the most part, but they've lost four in a row and 12 out of 19.

At least there is some familiarity between the two front offices, after their prolonged negotiations during the offseason eventually resulted in Brendan Donovan's move to the Mariners. If Jerry Dipoto needs any more motivation, trading O'Brien to the Cardinals following the 2023 season turned out to be a mistake in hindsight. What better way to rectify this, than by bringing the Seattle native home.

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