Mariners need to get in on bombshell new entry onto trade market

All indications are the Seattle Mariners have been given the green light to approach the trade deadline aggressively, and this seems to be panning out as claimed thus far. However, even allowing for the encouraging move to acquire Josh Naylor, Jerry Dipoto and company still need to do more before 3 p.m. PT on Thursday.

There's been plenty of chatter about upgrading the bullpen, even as a significant portion of any Mariners speculation has centered on a reunion with Eugenio Suárez. Now, though, another potential target has been mentioned, which we would contend could be just as big of a trade acquisition.

As per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), the loss of closer Emmanuel Clase to non-disciplinary leave due to an investigation into sports betting has deprived the Cleveland Guardians of their top trade chip. This has also ended any chance of them being a buyer at the deadline, which in turn increases the possibility of trading left fielder Steven Kwan.

Steven Kwan would be an excellent addition for the Mariners

Dipoto would do well to make a concerted play for Kwan, who has a resume which includes three Gold Gloves and two All-Star selections. He's enjoying another fine season at the plate, batting above his career average and highlighted by Baseball Savant as ranking in the 100th percentile for Whiff%, 99th percentile for K% and 97th percentile for Squared-Up%.

There's also the potential to use the 27-year-old as the leadoff hitter to replace the slumping J.P. Crawford and boost the Mariners lineup. As much as Crawford was enjoying an excellent bounce back year with his bat, the reality is he has just a .263 OBP since June 20.

Defensively, Kwan's main asset according to Baseball Savant is his arm value, which ranks in the 100th percentile. You can envision a scenario where the Mariners move Randy Arozarena over to right field and then have two Gold Glove-caliber defenders in two of the three outfield spots.

Rosenthal is reporting that the Guardians are receiving "a ton" of interest in Kwan, including from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres. However, as intimidating as this list of competitors is, the Mariners can more than hold their own as one of only a handful of teams with the prospects to be able to compete.

Steven Kwan over Eugenio Suárez?

Part of the reason Suárez might be beyond the reach of the Mariners is due to the size of the haul the Arizona Diamondbacks want in exchange. As the expected return package only grows, it becomes tougher to justify trading for someone who will effectively be just a two-month rental.

With Kwan, at least the Mariners would be giving up a significant haul for a player who is still under club control through salary arbitration for a further two seasons after 2025. In addition, he's just over six years younger than Suárez.

We appreciate that it won't be easy for the Mariners to acquire Kwan (assuming that they are even interested in him), but it would make plenty of sense to complete a trade for him. As much as M's ownership might have given the green light for Dipoto and company to be aggressive at the trade deadline, it doesn't mean they can't also still play it smart.