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3 Oakland Athletics the Mariners should target at the trade deadline

One team's at the top of the AL West, one is at the bottom. Can two rivals help each other get better?

By Jason Wang |
Minnesota Twins v Oakland Athletics
Minnesota Twins v Oakland Athletics / Michael Zagaris/GettyImages
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To no one's surprise, the Oakland Athletics are not seen as serious playoff contenders in 2024. With a record of 32-56, a run differential of -101, and FanGraphs playoff odds of 0.0%, things are looking pretty grim for the green and gold. That being said, they're known to get active during trade season, looking to build up the future of their franchise. With the Mariners in a position to win now, who should they look to acquire?

OF Brent Rooker - .261/.338/.515

At the very top of the list is the best bat that Oakland has to offer. There will undoubtedly be quite a bit of demand for Rooker, and for good reason. His breakout 2023 season saw him post a .817 OPS over 526 plate appearances and he's having an even better 2024.

Along with his current 145 OPS+, his 15 doubles, two triples, and 16 home runs exemplify his best feature: his power. Sure, he strikes out a lot (34.1%) and whiffs a lot (35.5%) but when he makes contact, his exit velocity is in the top 10% of qualified hitters. Furthermore, his barrel rate of 16.5% and average launch angle of 19.2 degrees allow him to collect so many extra base hits.

Rooker has primarily been played as a designated hitter in Oakland which may explain his offensive resurgence. Having less defensive responsibility typically allows players to be their best at the plate, but we've seen some of the best players in baseball play premier defensive positions (Aaron Judge, Gunnar Henderson) and still rake. In the field, Rooker typically takes a corner outfield spot and he's usually been a below-average defender, so who would he replace?

The easy answer is Mitch Haniger. He's on the second year of a relatively expensive $28 million contraact with a '25 player option, but he just hasn't been able to get the job done so far in 2024. His -0.8 rWAR is the result of his .614 OPS and -5 defensive runs saved. Rooker would hardly be playing Ichiro-esque defense in right field but he'd be a huge offensive upgrade, something Seattle needs to play at the next level of baseball.

OF JJ Bleday - .242/.323/.439

While Rooker had his breakout season in 2023, Bleday is having his breakout season this year. After two lackluster seasons, he's finally swinging the bat with some bad intentions. He's already got 22 doubles, three triples, and 11 home runs.

He doesn't smoke the ball quite as hard as Rooker but he's got much better plate discipline, striking out at a much more reasonable 19.0% clip while walking a respectable 10.3%. To further compensate for his league-average exit velocity, Bleday's average launch angle of 18.8 degrees and sweet-spot rate to 37.6% limit ground balls. He has even splits against both lefties and righties and has a very balanced hitter profile, something Seattle could use.

Bleday has played center field for his whole major league career but he has also spent some time in the outfield corners as well. He's another prime candidate to replace a sputtering Mitch Haniger. Furthermore, while he still isn't a great defender, he's not as bad as Haniger or Rooker this year. He's only got -2 defensive runs saved and -1 outs above average so he's at least a little closer to sufficient.

RP Lucas Erceg - 3.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP

With Gregory Santos on the road to recovery and currently on a rehab assignment with the Tacoma Rainiers, the Mariners' bullpen might not need the help. However, it remains to be seen how effective Santos will be and another reliever couldn't hurt, especially if it's relatively cheap for the team.

Lucas Erceg is one of several hidden gems in Oakland's bullpen living in the shadow of superstar Mason Miller. Spending most of this year as Miller's setup man, he's striking out opposing batters at a 27.6% clip while getting whiff (31.6%) and chase (32.4%) rates in the top 15% of qualified pitchers. His slider is especially nasty, with a strikeout rate at 56.5% and a .043 opposing batting average. Combined with a sinker/four-seam pair that both sit at 98.5 mph, it's no wonder he has been able to find success.

The Mariners will already have to choose who to leave behind to make room for Santos. Right now, it seems like Eduard Bazardo will likely be optioned first. If the Mariners do decide to pick up someone like Erceg, Mike Baumann could be the next to go. He doesn't have any options remaining so he'll have to be designated for assignment assuming he isn't traded himself. For an arm talent like Erceg, it could be a necessary move.

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