Buying and Selling at the Deadline

Possible trade partners and packages

Plenty of teams need bats to round out their lineups for the stretch run. The usual suspects include the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco, Tampa Bay Rays. Other teams to watch are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, and San Diego Padres. We could speculate all day, but the next two weeks will help any of these teams make a case for or against acquiring Hernandez.

If the Mariners continue to hover around the .500 mark, they will sell Hernandez, but what could they get in return? Probably, a team's top 30 prospects and a couple of lottery tickets. That's a lot better than letting Hernandez walk for nothing. Plus, it opens up a spot for Cade Marlowe, who continues to rake in Tacoma. A guy like Boston's Chase Meirdroth and a lottery ticket could help this team today and in the future.

Meidroth checks a lot of the boxes. He carries a solid hit tool (55) and is closer to the show than many of the Mariners' high-end offensive talent. Additionally, Boston has a wealth of middle infield talent in the minor league system, which makes it easier to part with him. If Dipoto threw in Matt Festa to get it over the finishline it would be a win-win for everyone.

The buzz will only get louder as we get closer to the trade deadline. The Mariners have a critical seven game run on the horizon. Here's hoping they catch fire and use the deadline with an eye on 2024 with selling a middle of the order bat to the highest bidder.