FanSided

Three moves the Mariners must make before the deadline

By Trevor Pedro |
New York Mets v Houston Astros
New York Mets v Houston Astros / Carmen Mandato/GettyImages
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We are 71 games into the 2023 campaign, which is a large enough sample size to hypothesize some truths about the Mariners' roster. The questions are plenty. The problem is the answers probably aren't on the roster or even in the minor league system. What can general manager Justin Hollander do to turn the tide? These three key moves could be just the trick.

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.

Bring in a Controllable Contact Bat

We've written extensively about the amount of swing and miss up and down the Mariner's lineup. The team is striking out in bulk, with Eugenio Suarez and Teoscar Hernandez leading the charge with rates above 30%. Even with a change in approach amounting to the offense's best run of the season, the team still needs more bat-to-ball hitters. The thought was Kolten Wong, and AJ Pollock would provide the contact approach Servais required to create a dynamic offense. Well, that hasn't happened.
The answer is contacting John Mozeliak to get in on the St. Louis Cardinals' impending fire sale. The Cardinals aren't trading Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, or even Lars Nootbar, but they could be swayed to part with super utilityman Brendan Donovan.

Donovan is a nicety for St. Louis; they already have Tommy Edman, who is essentially the same player. Plus, they have a logjam in the outfield with rookie Jordan Walker, Nootbar, Nolan Gorman, Edman, and a rehabbing Tyler O'Neill set to return next month.

The 26-year-old Donovan can play the Dylan Moore role on this team, add a lefty contact approach to the lineup, and comes with three more years of control. Additionally, his approach is actually "dominate the zone" worthy (11.8 BB /14.9 K). He uses the entire field and crushes off-speed pitches (.378). The cost might be more than Dipoto wants to pay, but this is the type of player the Mariners must seek to help address the strikeout problem.

Take a Chance on a Likeable Veteran

Do you know what coincided with the Mariners' magical run in 2022? The arrival of a proven veteran leader in the clubhouse. Someone who could cut through the tension. Someone who has been there and done that. Last year, that veteran was Carlos Santana. With Pollock and Wong's pronounced struggles, the clubhouse needs this presence.

There are a few options for Dipoto and Hollander in this arena, such as LaMonte Wade Jr., Randal Grichuk, or the recently released Wil Myers, but I'd like to go a different route.

What about bringing this guy back? Hear me out. Yes, the traditional slash line looks terrible (.215/.346/.346), but the underlying numbers tell a different story. He's hitting the ball with authority (52.2 hard hit rate) and walking at a career-high pace (16.7). The Mets gave Vogelbach a mental break with a week off, and the results immediately showed up in the box score. This Mets team is on the fringes of the NL Wild Card race, has a built-in DH raking in the minors in Mark Vientos, and needs relief help. Sounds like a match, right?

The 30-year-old slugger hamstrings Servais a bit, as he is probably 90% designated hitter and 10% first baseman, but the Mariners can't be choosey. They can't enter the trade deadline looking for a bat for a specific position. Find the bat and adjust accordingly. Vogelbach is known for his humor, Ruthian homers, and larger-than-life presence. That is what the Mariners need to break the tension. Bring Vogey home to play the Carlos Santana role. It's time.

These aren't huge franchise-altering moves, but they do fit the organizational MO. They won't break the bank in contract or prospect cost and each transaction actual addresses a need on the current 26-man roster with an eye on the future.

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