Solution to a key trade deadline need might be right under the Mariners' nose

It's widely documented the Mariners need a right-handed bat who can hit lefties, with them ranking last in the majors in this area with both a .204 batting average and .631 OPS. There's been plenty of speculation about who they should aim for ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, from fantasy targets such as the Astros' Isaac Paredes, to underrated Plan B options like Lane Thomas of the Royals. However, the solution might conceivably be in-house, with Michael Arroyo.

We appreciate there's been a lot of talk about Arroyo's value as an asset to potentially move. In fact we've gotten in on the "Trade him!" bandwagon ourselves, including him as part of a proposed return haul in order to land Mason Miller, arguably the best reliever in the game. However, what if the Mariners were to keep the 21-year-old and give him a shot in Seattle?

For our money, Arroyo is the best right-handed hitter in the M's farm system. Yes, he started this season struggling -- at least by his standards -- but since returning from a hamstring injury near the end of the May, he has been on fire. Since June 1 he's hitting .346 with a .984 OPS, including .367 with a 1.003 OPS in 11 games since his promotion to Triple-A Tacoma.

No matter whether it's dealing with Dickey-Stephens Park in Double-A Arkansas (where hitters go to die) or facing a higher level of competition, he's flourishing. As for going up against those pesky lefties, he is batting .316 on the season with a .829 OPS. The guy is just raking full stop.

So where exactly would the Mariners put Michael Arroyo in the lineup?

As much as Arroyo sounds like a possible solution for the Mariners, we understand it won't be straightforward to work him into their lineup. However, there are some ideas to make it happen. And helping this is that he has seen played this season at both second base and in left field, as well as taking on the DH role.

One possibility is to put Arroyo in right field, so he can split playing time with Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone both there and at DH. Another option is for the Mariners to trade Raley, move Randy Arozarena to right field and play Arroyo in left field, as he has done in both Arkansas and Tacoma. Another alternative involves demoting Colt Emerson and moving Cole Young to shortstop, so Arroyo can play at second base.

If we're honest, the last option in particular is most fraught with risk despite the potential upside. As much as Emerson is struggling at the plate, what he needs to work on are things he won't see in Triple-A, with the Mariners also losing his excellent defensive play at shortstop. As for Young, he's already one of the best all-around second basemen in the majors, and it could upset his rhythm by move him over to replace Emerson.

Ultimately, it goes back to our point to it not being straightforward to work Arroyo into the lineup, and yet you can still contend he's the right-handed bat the Mariners need. Certainly, he's done enough to deserve consideration, while possibly also solving a headache in Seattle. At the very least, he's definitely now a September call-up candidate a la Harry Ford last season.

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