Mariners linked to possible SF Giants trade target to solve first base issues

Last year, the Seattle Mariners and their first basemen finished 15th in baseball in home runs, 17th in slugging percentage, and 18th in batting average. This is a team with needs at multiple spots in the infield, but first base is absolutely one of them.

As of right now, Luke Raley is penciled in as the Mariners' starting first baseman for the 2025 season. He hit 22 home runs in 2024 while finishing the year with a .783 OPS and 129 OPS+. There's nothing wrong with that kind of production, but he's versatile enough to handle the outfield, where the Mariners also need help, so why not push him out there and explore external candidates in the infield?

Paul Goldschmidt stands out as a solid get on the free-agent market, but we shouldn't forget that there are also quite a few ways the Mariners could find that upgrade on the trade market.

As a matter of fact, The Athletic's Jim Bowden recently linked the Mariners to another West coast first baseman who could be on the move this offseason: LaMonte Wade Jr. of the San Francisco Giants.

Mariners linked to Giants' LaMonte Wade Jr. as potential major trade acquisition

Wade, 30, just wrapped up his fourth season on the Giants and it was a great one. He hit eight home runs with 34 RBI while hitting .260 and posting a 121 OPS+. Even still, Giants fans are calling for him to be replaced. A sudden lack of power mixed with some injury concerns did just enough to make Wade fall out of favor on the Giants.

While Wade didn't go off in the power department in 2024, he's got 17- and 18-homer showings in the not-so-distant past under his belt. He also possesses an outstanding eye at the plate that earned him a 99th percentile finish in BB% this past season.

A further look into his under-the-hood numbers shows that Wade was great on offense even without the pop. He finished in the 88th percentile in xWOBA, 94th in LA Sweet-Spot%, and 94th in Chase%. If he can put together a fully healthy year, his power numbers would likely come right back up to where they were in 2021 and 2023.

In Bowden's piece, he notes that Buster Posey's new regime with the Giants wants to focus on everyday players over platoon bats. Since Wade has historically been limited in the amount of at-bats he gets against left-handers, he's viewed simply as a platoon bat on the Giants. With that in mind, the Giants might have lost some of their bargaining power in trade talks as they've already made it clear that they don't think Wade is an everyday player. The Mariners should come calling and take advantage where the Giants are not.