Mariners should follow Yankees, Red Sox lead on Cardinals All-Star Iván Herrera

We're now just a few days away from the trade deadline and as things stand, the Mariners are still aiming to be buyers despite having a losing record. Fans will be hoping Jerry Dipoto is able to work some of his usual magic, with one of the main needs being a right-handed bat who can hit lefties. Well, how about going for a player who can also strengthen the catcher position?

ESPN published their updated MLB trade deadline tracker on Wednesday, and it included some particularly intriguing intel on the Cardinals. Jorge Castillo reports that the organization is willing to listen to offers for anyone on their big league roster, with the exception of Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt. Apparently this includes designated hitter/catcher Iván Herrera, who could be just what the Mariners need.

It's no secret that Cal Raleigh has had a horrendous year and is still a negative bWAR player, while Mitch Garver continues to inspire little confidence as his backup. Herrera would undoubtedly be a tremendous upgrade on Garver, with him projected to set a new single-season high in bWAR in a year which saw him named an All-Star for the first time. He could give Raleigh extra time out of the crouch and create more playing time in right field for Dominic Canzone.

Herrera has been invaluable for the Cardinals these past three seasons, highlighted by a 125 OPS+ and 126 wRC+. Of particular significance to the Mariners is that this year he's producing a .829 OPS against left-handed pitchers, which has been an Achilles Heel for them. Not that this success is of the one-season wonder variety, with a career .874 OPS versus southpaws.

Ivan Herrera versus Hunter Goodman: Who makes the better fit for the Mariners?

We appreciate there may well be Mariners fans out there who ask: "Why not Hunter Goodman?" and we get it. In fairness, as per Zac Hereth of Seattle Sports, the argument for pursuing the Rockies' two-time All-Star is already out there. However, with Goodman you'd have to pay an "elite catcher" price just to use him as a DH.

This is where Herrera makes for a better fit in Seattle, as he's already a part-time catcher who mostly DHs. Additionally, his contract is extremely team-friendly, with him making $798,800 this season and not set to become a free agent until 2030. There's just too much to like about the 26-year-old, especially in a season where it doesn't look as if Raleigh is going to rediscover his previous mojo. (Although we'll be more than happy to be proven wrong on this.)

Ultimately, we would contend the biggest threat to the Mariners is that the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox are apparently interested in Herrera. Not that this should dissuade Dipoto, especially with such a strong farm system to delve into to use as potential assets. It should also help that there's already a solid relationship there with the Cardinals, courtesy of the offseason trade for Brendan Donovan.

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