Marlins trade candidates are basically a 'choose your fighter' menu for Mariners

The Miami Marlins were on top of the world after they swept the Seattle Mariners just before the All-Star break. But one 12-game losing streak later, it's looking like another trade deadline fire sale may be in order for the Marlins. And the Mariners may be in a position to buy from them.

According to Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Marlins have shifted their strategy for the August 3 trade deadline. They're at least willing to listen on four players: infielders Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards, catcher/DH Liam Hicks and outfielder Heriberto Hernández.

Hicks is the worst fit for the Mariners, who don't need another catcher and/or left-handed hitter. Those other three names, though, carry a bit more heft.

The Mariners should seriously think about a trade for Otto Lopez or Xavier Edwards

When it comes to Lopez and Edwards, the complication is that the two of them are middle infielders with a grand total of 37.0 major league innings at third base, which is probably Seattle's cleanest fit for a new infielder.

Still, this need not be a deal-breaker. Even if Cole Young is clearly going nowhere at second base, how best to handle shortstop is more debatable. Despite some recent signs of life, Colt Emerson has mostly looked overmatched since arriving in the majors in May. Giving him the same "Nice try, kid, but let's have someone else take over" treatment that Young got last year could be inevitable.

If it's a question of which Miami standout the Mariners should covet, the vote here is for Lopez. He's a right-handed hitter, and the Mariners have wanted one of those for a while now. More to the point, he's batting an MLB-best .328 and leading the league with 27 doubles. Add in 22 stolen bases and plus defense, and he's basically a walking shot in the arm.

Edwards bears more of a resemblance to Brendan Donovan as a pesky hitter with a good glove. But at least he's a switch-hitter, and a balanced one with basically the same OPS (.775 as LHB, .773 as RHB) from either side of the plate.

As Lopez, 27, and Edwards, 26, are both in their 20s and controlled through 2029, Baseball Trade Values puts their surplus value at $29.6 million and $27.1 million, respectively. That puts them in the same general bracket as Emerson Hancock at $24.3 million, and we know from another report from Sammon and Rosenthal that he's available.

If not Lopez or Edwards, Heriberto Hernández would be a nice prize for the Mariners

Now that Rob Refsnyder is back in the lineup and already raking, the Mariners might be able to pump the brakes on pursuits of right-handed-hitting outfielders. Hernández, though, offers a good excuse to keep it up.

He has 165 games in the majors under his belt now, and those come with a 119 OPS+ and 25 home runs. And this year in particular, left-handed pitchers have felt his wrath to the tune of a .921 OPS and eight of his 15 homers. Gabe Speier knows all about that, unfortunately:

Even after a five-homer display against Los Angeles Dodgers southpaws on Tuesday, the Mariners still rank 28th in MLB with a .657 OPS against lefties. At best, the 26-year-old Hernández would be another threat alongside Refsnyder. At worst, he could step in as Refsnyder's replacement if his OPS doesn't escape the .400s.

Given how the rest of the market for right-handed bats is looking in the wake of some key injuries, it almost feels like the Mariners have summoned the Marlins to bail them out. It guarantees nothing, but it at least makes it possible to think about potential deals before Monday's deadline.

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