Alonso, Robert or Guerrero? Keith Law on each as M’s Trade Targets

Three big names on struggling teams keep coming up as potential targets for the Seattle Mariners before the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

What will make an uncomfortable Seattle Mariners trade worth it?

There’s Pete Alonso, the powerful 29-year-old first baseman from the New York Mets who is set to hit free agency after this season.

Then there’s Luis Robert Jr., the 26-year-old star center fielder for the Chicago White Sox who is under club control through 2027.

And finally, 25-year-old Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a three-time All-Star who is set to become a free agent after the 2025 campaign.

All three are well known sluggers with memorable performances in at least one Home Run Derby, and they all have their positives and negatives, too. That makes it hard to know which option would be the best for the American League West-leading Mariners to add to an offense in need of some punch.

Longtime MLB insider Keith Law, who is a senior baseball writer for The Athletic and former member of the Blue Jays front office in the 2000s, joined Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Thursday and provided his thoughts on each of those players as M’s trade targets. Here’s what Law said.

Three big bats as Seattle Mariners trade targets

Pete Alonso

“He’s a rental, so if you could do that, I think he’s a great fit. He might be the easiest fit of all. Lowest price, absolutely gives them what they need. I think you get big production out of him, even if it’s (for just) 2 1/2 months.”

Luis Robert Jr.

“He’s a little bit of a mixed bag because he does get hurt a lot and that is a little scary, but you have some control left at a pretty good price salary-wise relative to what his production is. I’d be willing to put together a pretty competitive offer for him.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

“Vlad is the big wild card of all these guys because someone needs to get him and change him. He is a much better player, should be a much better player than he has been the last, what, 2 1/2 years now? And some of it is swing related. I’ve talked to Blue Jays guys who say he’s such a natural hitter, it’s very tough to get him to make changes to his swing. He’s not a very mechanical, you know, go to the video room and make little tweaks type of guy. That’s not the ideal trade deadline acquisition for me. That’s the guy you pick up in the offseason and say, we are going to spend time with him to try to get him back to that one year he was second in the MVP voting and it looked like he’s going to be a perennial All-Star.”

Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation with MLB insider Keith Law of The Athletic in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Catch Brock and Salk from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• How Mariners starter Bryan Woo’s fastballs are so effective
• Bob’s Baseball Breakdown: Would Bob go all-in on Mariners trade?
• Three things that jump out after first-place Mariners’ latest series win
• Watch: Mariners’ Cal Raleigh picks up rare stolen base
• Are any Seattle Mariners prospects untouchable in trades? Law weighs in

Follow @BrentStecker