3 trade targets the Mariners need to revisit after signing Mitch Garver

The Mariners were given a Christmas miracle when they were able to sign DH, Mitch Garver, to a two-year deal, worth $24 million (there is a third-year mutual option, but not much is known as far as structure). This gives a huge boost to a lineup that desperately lacked a middle of the order prescence after the departures of Teoscar Hernandez and Eugenio Suarez. Garver, at his contract, is a bargain considering MLBTraderumors.com had him at three years and $39 million.

What's next? The Mariners are most certainly not done. Dipoto knows that they are still probably one-and-a-half bats short (a corner outfielder as well as a platoon option in the other corner outfield). The next move is just as important as the first one. The last few years the Mariners have continuously been 1 bat short, and it really hurt them. It is imperative for Dipoto to follow up the Garver deal with another solid bat and keep the momentum rolling.

The Mariners have been linked to pretty much every bat this offseason. We have talked about all sorts of free agents they should target as well as countless trade options they could explore. Let's take a look at 3 trade targets the Mariners should revisit after the Mitch Garver signing.

Anthony Santander

Santander is arguably the best pure bat the Mariners could still acquire (outside of maybe Bellinger, but they seem to be out of his price range). In the last 2 years, Santander is 30th in slugging percentage and 15th in home runs, thats right there with guys like Bo Bichette, Juan Soto, and Julio Rodriguez, yet we never hear much about him.

Santander is almost a sure-fire guy to post a 120 wRC+ with around 30 home runs (though Statcast predicted he would've hit 39 home runs in Seattle last year). Adding his switch-hitting bat to the middle of the lineup would start to really make the Mariners a threat for the AL West title. Santander isn't a great defender, having him and Canzone in the corner spots doesn't give you a great defensive outfield, but you are getting him for the offense (though he can play some first base).

Santander is going to be the most expensive player on this list, both in terms of financial cost (projected $14.1 million in arbitration via MLB Traderumors), as well as the acquisitional cost, though it shouldn't be too painful considering he is a one-year rental. The trade package could be similar to that of Teoscar Hernandez's (who's arbitration numbers are ironically the same) deal last year when the Mariners sent Erik Swanson and Adam Macko to the Blue Jays for the right fielder. Both are offensive minded right fielders on a relatively high arbitration number, to a team that needs or needed pitching. I am not sure if the Orioles would be interested, but a deal like Justin Topa and Emerson Hancock might pique their interest; or more bulk, high upside could be something like Justin Topa, Walter Ford/Michael Morales, and another top 15 prospect.

Austin Slater

Bar far the most affordable player on this list financially and acquisition cost is Austin Slater. I touched in Slater before; he is not the second bat that needs to be acquire this offseason, but acquiring Slater after the Garver trade could prove to be one of the best and most underrated moves of the offseason.

In the table below, you can see how good Slater has been since 2020, he has been one of the best bats versus left-handed pitchers during that span. Since 2020, Slater's combined numbers are .285/.380/.486 which was good for a 141 wRC+. Among hitters with 350 plate appearances during that time, Slater ranks 19th in wRC+ and 14th in on-base-percentage. There is no doubt that adding Slater to platoon with Canzone/Deloach/Trammel would give you one of the best options available.

Slater just turned 31 years old and is in the final year of arbitration, expected to earn $4 million. This is a relatively inexpensive option considering the type of production that you could get out of him. Slater is now in a crowded outfield with guys like Jung Hoo Lee, Mitch Haniger, Michael Conforto, Mike Yastrezemski, and former top 100 prospect Luis Matos. The Giants could use some pitching depth; I could see a young, MLB ready bullpen arm like Ty Adcock making this deal work.