Could the Mariners link up with the Brewers for offensive help?

The month of July has not gone well for the Mariners. They have lost eight of their last nine games and blew a 10-game division lead to the Houston Astros. Local and National media have been beating the same drum this season: The Mariners need offense. They do not get on base enough, and even when they do get on base, nobody can seem to drive them in. This issue is not just one or a few players, it is hitters 1-9.

While we all want the Mariners to make a franchise-altering type trade, the reality is that those kinds of trades do not happen too often. This year's trade deadline has turned into an extreme seller's market. That may mean that the cost of a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or a Luis Robert Jr. is just too rich for the Mariners front office's blood. Even if the Mariners were to acquire one of those guys, more would need to be done to make this offense even league-average.

Enter the Milwaukee Brewers. They lead the National League Central by a whopping six games, and their record sits at 59-43 as of July 25th. Young players like Jackson Churio, Bryce Turang, and Sal Frelick are ready to be Major Leaguers, while veterans Christian Yelich (who now may be out for the season), Willy Adames, and Rhys Hoskins have the Brewers offense rolling.

The glaring need for the Brew Crew is their pitching. The Mariners and Brewers made a trade earlier this year, when the Mariners sent veteran LHP Dallas Keuchel to the Brewers for cash considerations. The Brewers have also traded for veteran righty Zach Eflin from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Mariners sending a pitcher or two for a Brewers bat or two seems like a perfect fit.

This trade is not one that is going to make the Mariners an instant contender, but one that would absolutely make the Mariners better today. Garrett Mitchell is still just 25 years old, and was a former first round pick out of UCLA in 2020. He has had some trouble staying healthy in his short career, but when he is healthy, he has the potential to be a star in this league.

In just 170 career at-bats, he has earned 1.8 WAR. His slash line is .265/.340/.429/.770 with an OPS+ of 112. He takes his walks and is an absolute threat on the base paths. He has elite speed and a full-blown howitzer for an arm. He swings from the left side and does have some power. While in AAA this season, he posted an OPS close to 1.000.

Garrett Mitchell can flat out hit

He does strike out a ton, but he makes up for that with his ability to walk. Sounds like a Mariner already. His savant page is not exciting to look at, but remember that he has only had 44 at-bats this year.

Coming over with Mitchell in this trade is Wes Clarke. Clarke is the Brewers 24th ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He is not viewed as a catcher for the long term, but he can serve as a backup or a third catcher, like Mitch Garver. He has a ton of power, and a ton of strikeouts. The Mariners lack depth at catcher among their prospects, so Clarke could fit in nicely down in Tacoma, working on striking out less.

In this scenario, the Mariners do lose some serious pitching talent. Emerson Hancock has been a good sixth starter for the Mariners this year. Hancock (3-4, 4.76 ERA) has made nine starts filling in for Bryan Woo. He won pitcher of the month in June for the PCL, and just threw a complete game shutout last week. The other pitcher I have going to Milwaukee is Michael Morales. Morales is the 11th-ranked prospect for the Mariners, according to MLB Pipeline. He is currently tearing it up in AA Arkansas.

In all, I think that this is a win/win for both teams involved. The Mariners get some serious hitting depth, while the Brewers get some much needed pitching depth. Mariners fans may think this is an overpay, but Mitchell is really that talented. Mitchell could be in the outfield with Julio Rodriguez for a long, long time.

As always, Go Mariners!