A big move to erase the Mariners' uneven season

It's June 4th, and the Mariners are coming off a complete demolishing by the Texas Rangers (16-6). But I always focus on the standings instead of the scoreboard. The team has underperformed thus far, amounting to a .500 record (29-29). I've always been the glass-half-full type, especially in a 162-game baseball season. President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto joined Brock and Salk, Seattle Sports 710 this week, offering some juicy nuggets that might be a reason for optimism.

We want to create length in our lineup. Again, our pitching staff has been incredible, but for us, it's all about offense. We're going to get some help back internally here with Andrés Muñoz and Dylan Moore, and hopefully, that helps, but it'll be a fun month for us as we hopefully continue to play well and find ways to get better moving forward.

There are a few options for Dipoto and General Manager Justin Hollander to add depth to the anemic offense. They could unload the prospect treasure chest for a former NL Rookie of the Year, make what Dipoto calls 'under the hood' transactions snagging aging veterans like Charlie Blackmon, or address the issue internally with corner infielder Jake Scheiner, an up-and-coming prospect leading the PCL in RBIs. For this exercise, we'll explore India, a player seemingly without a positional home in Cincy.

Going all out for India

The Cincinnati Reds have a bright future with some high-upside prospects knocking on the doors of Great American Ballpark—namely, Elly De La Cruz, MLB Pipeline's number one prospect, and rightfully so. The uber-athletic infielder is a cross between the Pirates' O'Neill Cruz and Astros' Yordan Alvarez displaying a true five-tool skill set.

The Reds also have Christian Encarnation-Strand, a third baseman by trade, ready to debut shortly. Team these two with upstart Kevin Newman, Spencer Steer, Nick Senzel, and Johnathan India something has to give. Enter the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year, enjoying a resurgent 2023 (.278/.368/.431 for a .798 OPS and 112 OPS+).

India would lengthen the lineup and allow the team to acquire controllable talent (contract through 2025). The following lineup could do some damage in the latter half of the season.

Remember that India is grading below average defensively (-0.5 UZR), so I could see the team bouncing him between second base and designated hitter.

The Reds are an exciting trade partner in that they know our farm system, having acquired six top-15 prospects from the Mariners in the past two years. Also, they have a log jam of infielders but only a little in the pitching and outfielder department regarding high-upside talent. That's why both packages include the Mariners' top pitching prospects. Of the two packages, I'd be more apt to send Woo to the Reds, mainly because of Ford's high-rising star.

There is no doubt Johnathan India could provide the depth this team needs to become competitive offensively. Still, something tells me Dipoto and Hollander have their eyes on someone no one is talking about (Lars Nootbar, anyone?). Either way, the team is squandering the good vibes they created from a magical 2022 run. The time is now to infuse the lineup with some quality bats, before the glass becomes half empty.