3 Mariners bats that must be off the team by the trade deadline

#3: Mitch Haniger

I hate this. I really do. I've been such a big Mitch Haniger fan since he was traded to the Mariners back when the team acquired him from the Diamondbacks. He's been a big part of this team's rise to success over the last handful of years.

When his free agency came up a few years ago, it made sense that the team let him leave. They couldn't commit to three years for an aging and oft-injured OF. When they re-acquired him from the Giants in the Robbie Ray deal, I was cautiously excited. If Mitch Haniger could be healthy for a full season, one would think that it meant he was feeling good and swinging the bat well. Right?

Wrong.

Haniger is hitting .209/.283/.341 as the teams everyday right fielder. He's just a hair negative at the plate in WAR, but is one of the worst defenders in baseball. Anyone who has watched him out there can think of a handful of plays where you scratch your head in wonder at how he didn't make the play... or how he wasn't even close to the ball.

That's why replacing Haniger is a two-fold solution possibly. You could get rid of one of the worst defenders, and then you improve the lineup. Imagine getting a decent defender out there (Maybe... Ian Happ?) and he doubles as someone who improves the lineup as well. That would be massive to this team, and would be a 3-4 win improvement for the remainder of the season. That's how bad Haniger has been.

If changes aren't made to this team, they just aren't good enough to deserve a shot at the playoffs. None of these three players have shown enough in 2024, and it's too far into the season to continue to sit and wait and hope. As July wears on, the Mariners must make some moves.