Mariners rookie suddenly playing like he wants the trade rumors to go away

It's out there that the Seattle Mariners are looking to upgrade at third base, and potentially in a major way. But at least one person would clearly like everyone to remember that he was supposed to be the answer at the hot corner, and it's none other than Ben Williamson.

Remember when he got called up in April? It was kind of a big deal, as it heralded the debut of a prospect whose defensive skills alone made him one of the top talents in the Mariners' farm system. Yet it was apparent just a few weeks later that he was not the answer, and the team has clearly come to agree. Otherwise, it would not be thirsting after a reunion with Eugenio Suárez.

Ben Williamson is showing signs of life at third base for the Mariners

If nothing else, it therefore makes for interesting timing that the 24-year-old Williamson had arguably the best game of his career just last night in Seattle's 3-1 win over the Athletics in Sacramento.

He went 2-for-3 with a run scored and made not one, but two highlight-reel plays on defense. The first got Luis Castillo out of a first-and-third jam in the sixth inning, with the second ended a bases-loaded threat against Matt Brash in the eighth.

Even A's manager Mark Kotsay had to hand it to Williamson after the game, and there was plenty of praise within his own clubhouse as well.

“Ben Williamson saved us today with some outstanding defense. He’s done it all year but it just seemed like tonight he had a ton of chances and made some really difficult plays look pretty easy,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said, as per Tim Booth of The Seattle Times.

It's the bat that has held Williamson back, as a .608 OPS and one home run is not going to cut it for an everyday player at any position. Yet he is hitting a season-high .266 in July, with peripheral metrics that largely hint at real progress.

Admirable stuff, to be sure...but only so much so when you look over and see Suárez with 36 home runs and an MLB-leading 87 RBI for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Even after a hit-by-pitch scare on Monday, the guess here is that a plurality of Mariners fans would rather have him back at third.

To this end, you can't fault Williamson for simply putting his head down and continuing to play ball.

“I’m just going to show up and do my best every day and whatever happens, happens from there,” Williamson said, again per Booth. He also added: “I just don’t get on my phone much.”

If anything is working in Williamson's favor right now, it may be the practicality of trading for Suárez or really any other third baseman. Arizona's asking price for "Geno" has been reported by Francys Romero to be absolutely huge. And with Ryan McMahon having already been traded to the New York Yankees, pickings are otherwise slim for third basemen ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

While the Mariners could use more offense, they don't necessarily need another bat after adding Josh Naylor in a trade with the D-backs last week. He is already off to a difference-making start at first base, with his first four games as a Mariner yielding five hits (including his first homer on Monday) and four stolen bases.

All this could explain why the Mariners have shifted their focus to the bullpen, as Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reported on Monday. It bears a similar resemblance to the lineup prior to the Naylor trade, in that it's already good but in need of an impact addition to lean more toward greatness.

Put another way, don't be so surprised if Williamson is still at third base for the Mariners come Friday. Even if it's largely on him that third base is an area of need, it is likewise on him that a new starter is looking less like a must-have and more of a nice-to-have.