With Opening Day less than three months away, the Seattle Mariners have made little progress in improving the infield positions that underperformed in 2024. As the Mariners sit idle this offseason, American League rivals, such as the Houston Astros and New York Yankees signed coveted free-agent first-basemen Christiam Walker and Paul Goldschmidt, both of whom would've filled a need for Seattle.
The Mariners' second base position has been a significant problem for the last few seasons as well. Seattle has not had a second baseman reach a .700 OPS since 2017, when Robinson Canó finished with a .791 OPS. Nico Hoerner was mentioned as a trade target, but that rumor has yet to materialize.
One possible trade target is Gavin Lux of the Los Angeles Dodgers, as mentioned in rumors over the weekend. Lux's first season since missing all of 2023 with a torn ACL was productive. The former top-10 draft pick accumulated 2.1 bWAR and batted .251/.320/.383 with a 101 OPS+ in 139 games with the world champion Dodgers in 2024.
After the Dodgers signed Hyesong Kim from Korea, Lux's name came up in trade conversations with the New York Yankees. According to Pat Ragazzo of Yankees on SI, the Mariners "have been more aggressive in pursuit of the infielder" after the Yankees previously gauged interest in Lux.
On Monday, Jon Morosi emphasized the sentiment, leading fans to believe a solution for second base could be on the horizon.
Mariners Rumors: Gavin Lux trade could solve second base situation
Lux would be an excellent fit for the Mariners, as he would take over for the departed Jorge Polanco. He is entering an arbitration-eligible year this season and will be under contract until 2027. The next question, however, will be what the Mariners have give up to obtain Lux.
Seattle boasts one of MLB's top farm systems in the league. The Dodgers do not have a first baseman prospect in their top-30 rankings, so Los Angeles might ask about Tyler Locklear as an option. You'd have to assume the cost won't be much here given LA's lack of leverage — Lux is exepected to be a casualty of a roster crunch and isn't exactly a prized asset for the Dodgers at the moment.
With the Luis Arráez rumors preceding Lux's arrival on the market, it would appear the Mariners have options and must capitalize soon before other teams get involved.