Ranking 9 potential Seattle Mariners second baseman trade targets

I am tired of sitting here watching the Mariners' offense struggle. What is there to do to fix it? Well, not much really. The core group of guys really needs to get going, that is the single biggest issue and if guys like Julio, JP, and Cal can get going, this team could look a lot different. But that doesn't preclude Jerry Dipoto from going out and being aggressive in trying to spark this lineup. In fact, that is the exact type of thing that he should be doing, and from the sounds of it, that is something he is already exploring.

The second base position has been terrible for the Mariners for quite a few years and continues in 2024. Jorge Polanco has not been the savior that many Mariners fans thought that he would become. Ryan Bliss has shown some promise but relying on a 24-year-old who has just 26 major league games to his name, is really hard to do when you're looking to make a deep playoff run. That is why Dipoto needs to make a move, and soon, to help get this offense get back on track before it's too late.

Ranking the top 9 Mariners second base targets

Today we will look at the top nine second basemen that could theoretically be available, and rank them in order, considering the impact, financial cost, and prospect capital any deal would require.

No. 9: Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers is a very interesting name and seems like a move that Dipoto would make. The former number three overall pick was once a top prospect with an immense amount of upside. The dreams of his crazy athleticism and bat taking advantage of the thin Colorado air just haven't materalized.

Rodgers is enjoying one of his better seasons as a pro offensively. The 27-year-old is slashing .281/.322/.402 with five home runs. It's a 90 wRC+, but the lack of strikeouts (21.6%) would be nice to add to the Mariners lineup. Pair that with his Gold Glove caliber defense and Rodgers seems like a fairly solid addition.

The prospect capital wouldn't be that costly as Rodgers isn't one of the premier second basemen in the game. The Mariners need impact offensively, and while Rodgers is a solid player, he just doesn't provide that level of offense that this team needs right now.

No. 8: Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Isiah Kiner-Falefa seems like a guy that both Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais would just absolutely love to have on this roster. "IKF" is a low strikeout rate guy (15.3% career rate) with a high average (.264 career average) and can play pretty much any position on the diamond. In his career, he has played every position except for first base.

Kiner-Falefa is enjoying a career year, and it could be the perfect time for the Mariners (and the Blue Jays for that matter) to capitalize on this. In 83 games this year, he is slashing .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs. He has a lower than career normal strikeout rate at 13.2% and by far his career-best 117 wRC+.

The 29-year-old is under control through next year at $7.5M and while many thought it seemed like a massive overpay, it looks to be a pretty solid deal for the Blue Jays. Acquiring IKF shouldn't be too expensive and could be a great value addition for Dipoto.

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.

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.

No. 3: Luis Rengifo

Ironically, the Mariners actually signed Rengifo as a free agent in March of 2014 but was sent to the Rays and then to the Angels in a pair of trades. Rengifo is one of my personal favorites on this list and could really transform how this lineup goes about producing runs.

Rengifo has an impressive 126 wRC+, following up a really solid 114 wRC+ in 2023. He is slashing .315/.358/.442 with six home runs and 22 stolen bases. Rengifo would add a very high average, speedy second baseman who gets on base at a solid rate. He would slot in so well at the top of the Mariners lineup and would provide so much athleticism and speed that this lineup just doesn't have, setting up the middle of the order to drive in some runs.

Perhaps the biggest roadblock in a Rengifo deal is the fact that he is the American League West. The 27-year-old second baseman is only under control through next year, so the Angels could look to capitalize on a career year and limited market, but it could cost the Mariners a decent prospect haul. The Angels are a weird team and under the leadership of Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners and Angels have never completed a trade. It would be awesome to see that change and Rengifo wearing a Mariners jersey come August, but the odds don't seem great.

No. 1: Ketel Marte

This might be cheating as the likelihood that Arizona decides the trade the best second baseman in the game is slim to none. However, if the Diamondbacks are looking to clear some payroll while rebuilding for the next few years, they could entertain offers if they are blown away by a deal; the Mariners are one of the few teams that has the firepower to make a blockbuster like this happen.

Marte fits this team to a T. The 30-year-old is the best second baseman in the game, hits for a high average, limits strikeouts and has really developed a lot of power. The switch-hitter is also a fast runner, but not necessarily a base steal, but who really cares when you hit as well as he does? He may be in the midst of his best season yet, slashing .283/.351/.506 with 18 home runs. Thats all good for a 136 wRC+ (tied for first among all qualified second basemen.

I doubt that Marte is really available as he is one of the best players in the game and under a very team-friendly deal, but one can dream, right? Acquiring Marte would be extremely expensive, but might be worth the cost. You would likely be parting with 3-4 top 10 prospects (maybe even more) or one of Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo and a few more top prospects.