Mariners Trade Proposal: Would Lane Thomas solve the Mariners corner outfield woes?

The trade deadline is starting to get close, which means that rumors and proposals are really going to start ramping up as fans and media start putting out feelers and ideas for what they want to see happen. The National League Wild Card race could complicate things with the plethora of teams that are tightly packed around the final two spots. For those that decide to sell, there is going to be a good chance to recoup assets... could the Nationals decide to do so with Lane Thomas?

The Nationals are currently only a few games under .500, sitting a few games out of the Wild Card as well. It doesn't seem like they are actually a team that could compete in the playoffs, though, and rebuilding instead of pushing makes sense. Lane Thomas seems a prime candidate for a trade, especially with how he has been building his offensive value as of late.

Thomas is hitting .283/.328/.558 in 28 games since coming off the injured list, with 16 XBH and six steals in that time. It's a massive improvement from the sub .200 BA he had before that, and he is showing once again why he is a potential 25/25 guy, with 8 HR and 17 SB on the season already. The power is there, too, as he hit 28 homers last season and has played just 50 games this season.

So what would a trade for Thomas look like? This is his age-28 season, meaning he is sitting right in that rumored prime window of 27-29 that we so often hear about. He also has 1.5 seasons left before becoming a Free Agent at the end of the 2025 season. Here's something that the Mariners could offer.

Clase got his cup of coffee with the Mariners earlier this year before being sent back to Tacoma to ensure that he can continue to get regular playing time. He's been scratching at the Mariners top 10 prospects, normally sitting right around that #10 spot. He's got deceptive pop and insane speed, and is still only 22 years old.

Kingsbury is a RHP from A ball on the Everett Aquasox and is 25 already. He's a reliever down there seeing good success with a sub-3 ERA. A pitching flier who could help their pen in a couple of years is probably worth adding into this deal to help it happen.

Here's the big question though. That's probably something around what it would take to make the deal happen. Should the Mariners do it?

The Mariners should NOT trade for Lane Thomas

I've actually wanted Lane Thomas for a while. Getting a bat like that in the lineup would be huge, especially if he can keep hitting above .250 with that kind of slugging (7 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR in 28 games). However, we already have an awful defender in right field with Haniger... but Thomas is just as bad, at least according to dWAR.

Maybe you take the tradeoff knowing that the bat is good enough. Maybe a change of scenery and playing next to Julio will help. If the Mariners are going to take the steps to improve this team, I think they need to go after a bigger name, or at least someone who can contribute on both sides of the ball. I still think Thomas would be a ton of fun to watch in the lineup, but not at the cost of a -2.0 dWAR or worse.

What do you think? Is Thomas worth it? Or should the Mariners go after a bigger or more well-rounded name? Truthfully, the hope is that they do anything at the deadline, just something to improve the team. Especially with the hitting woes of late during this losing stretch.