Ranking 9 potential Seattle Mariners second baseman trade targets

No. 7: Brandon Lowe

Lowe has been a common name linked with the Mariners and rightfully so. He is a productive player when healthy and is earning some good money, which fits the Rays model of selling players once they start to get expensive. He has also been a productive, left-handed hitting second baseman, something would seemingly fit right in with the Mariners.

The issue with Lowe has been durability. In 2022, he played just 65 games and followed it up with 109 in 2023. Lowe has already spent some time on the injured list this year, playing in just 40 of the Rays' 77 games so far.

Even in the limited time, Lowe has been a very good hitter, slashing .229/.329/.481 with eight home runs. He has a manageable 25.6% strikeout rate and a solid 10.53% walk rate. Lowe would be a solid addition to this lineup and would be controlled through the 2026 season. The issue with Lowe is the health. The Mariners need someone that they can depend upon day in and day out so they don't have to force Bliss into a more full-time role. I like Lowe and think he could be a sneaky addition, but there are just better, more dependable options than the 29-year-old second baseman.

No. 6: Ha-Seong Kim

Ha-Seong Kim was talked about amongst Mariners fans quite a bit last year and this offseason. I don't blame fans for dreaming of having Kim in the middle of the Mariners' defense; he is one of the best middle-infielders in the game and fits the Mariners' needs to a tee.

Kim is a very talented infielder who should hit for a high average, get on base at an elite rate, limit strikeouts, and steal tons of bases. All of these are things that the Mariners currently struggle with. After a dominant 2023 where Kim hit .260/.351/.398 with 17 home runs and 38 stolen bases, he has struggled a little bit more but is still very solid (.229/.331/.384 with 10 home runs and 17 stolen bases). He has just a 15.7% strikeout rate and a nice 12.9% walk rate. He is also an above-average defender at both shortstop and second base and would just fill so many holes that you currently have.

Kim is strictly a rental option. He has a mutual option for 2025 for $7 million, but there is no chance he opts into that, he can get a lot more money. That is both a good and bad thing for the Mariners and Jerry Dipoto. He doesn't fit the typical bill for Jerry as the Mariners GM usually targets club control, but sometimes you just need talent.