Three moves the Mariners must make before the deadline

New York Mets v Houston Astros
New York Mets v Houston Astros / Carmen Mandato/GettyImages
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Trade for a High Leverage Arm

The Mariners have a Top 10 rotation that routinely pumps out quality starts. They are fine, even with rookie Bryan Woo reaching uncharted territory. The issue is trusting Matt Brash to lock down the middle innings. Despite his astronomical strikeout per nine rates (17.58), his appearances are still near Fernando Rodney Experience levels. Yes, he's getting BABIP'd to hell and back this season and has shown signs of turning the corner of late, but good teams and playoff teams need a stable bridge.
Luke Arkins from Prospect Insider identified a few options on the trade market, with one standing out as a true fit; Sean Manaea. The longtime Oakland Athletic is now in the Chris Flexen role for the San Francisco Giants. He's striking out opposing batters at a 32% clip and holding them to a .202 batting average.

The fastball has ticked up since his move to the bullpen, and his 88-mph changeup has become a real weapon (BAA .190). Additionally, adding Manaea to the pen would allow manager Scott Servais to protect youngsters Gabe Speier and Tayler Saucedo from late-season fatigue and effectively replace a struggling Flexen. The 31-year-old southpaw has a player option for 2024, filling President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto's desire to acquire controllable assets.