Ranking 9 potential Seattle Mariners second baseman trade targets

No. 5: Nico Hoerner

Nico Hoerner has seen his name pop up in rumors lately as the Chicago Cubs continue to slide further out of playoff contention (currently 5.5 GB of the NL WC). The Cubs will certainly entertain offers for a lot of their players and they have some very interesting names that make a lot of sense for the Mariners. Perhaps no one makes more sense for Seattle than the reigning Gold Glover.

Hoerner gives this team a lot of what it is missing, and what it tried to add this offseason, contact ability. A career .274 hitter, Hoerner is slumping a little bit in 2024, but over the last 15 games, has started to get back on track (.271/.343/.373). He won't hit for much power, but we know that shouldn't matter for the Mariners. Hoerner is a legit base stealer (43 in 2023) and an elite defender. Hoerner is also under club control through 2026 at a fairly club-friendly deal. All of this is to say that Hoerner is one of the better fits for the Mariners to explore over the next few weeks.

Hoerner offers a fairly high floor, but a relatively low ceiling. That's not to take anything away from him because he is a really good player. He would be more expensive to acquire than any of the previous names listed, in part due to his club control, but shouldn't be a painful addition.

No. 4: Jonathan India

Like Brandon Lowe, Jonathan India is a name that Mariners fans have grown familiar with. India found himself in discussions amongst MLB Insiders as a potential second base option for the Mariners as the Reds and Seattle made pretty solid trade partners.

India broke out in 2021 as an athletic, powerful second baseman. He slashed .269/.376/.459 with 21 home runs and 12 stolen bases en route to Rookie of the Year honors. He wasn't really able to replicate those numbers over the next couple of years but has rebounded to what could be his best year yet. In 84 games, India is slashing .270/.371/.403 with six home runs and eight stolen bases.

His 119 wRC+ would rank fifth in all of baseball, at his position, while his 12.2% walk rate would top all qualified second baseman. India isn't a great defender at second base and the Mariners could certainly do better, but offensively, it's hard to get much better than India. Pair all of that with the fact that India is under club control through 2026 and he would be a valuable asset for the Mariners and a massive improvement at the keystone.

Judging his trade cost is hard because he has been really good this year but is coming off of back-to-back average at best offensive years while being a subpar defender. Mariner's fans may be hesitant to acquire Cincinnati offense, but India's ability to control the zone and barrel the baseball, while not relying on power, should translate to Seattle.