Morosi: Where Mariners can look for help at trade deadline

The Seattle Mariners are getting closer to what is shaping up to be a very interesting trade deadline for the team.

Morosi: Mariners’ slumping offense needs stars to step up

The M’s have underperformed to this point, but they still find themselves in playoff position and in a good spot to be buyers leading up to the Aug. 3 deadline.

However, the trade market could be a complicated one to navigate with the postseason race crowded in both leagues.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi discussed the Mariners’ trade deadline needs and how they may be able to address them when he joined Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Thursday.

To no surprise, Morosi looked at Seattle’s struggles against left-handed pitching as a big issue to address.

“The issues, I would say, (are) at the right-handed side of their platoons. (Victor) Robles has really not had a very productive year, I would say, and then (Rob) Refsnyder,” Morosi said. “So you could probably improve one of those roster spots. Is it a Casey Schmitt? Is it a Ryan Kreidler? Is it a Dane Myers? These are sort of marginal guys that can probably do a better job in that role. Schmitt’s actually had a pretty good year with the Giants, who are definitely going to be sellers. So those are the types of moves that I’m looking at.

“Notice these are not megastars. This is not a team that is calling for a megastar trade. This is a team that is calling for their own stars to perform better.”

The 27-year-old Schmitt is having a career year for Giants this season, batting .290 with an .825 OPS, 16 homers and 15 doubles while producing 1.6 bWAR in 74 games. That includes hitting .357 with an .892 OPS against left-handers. He also has positional flexibility, having played left field, first base, second base, third base and shortstop during his career. Schmitt, a second-round pick in 2020, is set to hit his first year of arbitration next season.

Something to explore

If the Mariners were to try to pick up a star-caliber player to help their scuffling offense, they have a number of touted prospects they could deal. But they could also look into trading one of the six starting pitchers on their 26-man roster.

The organization has been reluctant to deal from its talented group of starters, but Morosi believes it’s at least worth feeling out other clubs to see the sort of return they could get.

“Now no manager or GM has ever complained about having too much pitching, but let’s be honest, the current arrangement is a little unique,” Morosi said. “They’re going to say, as they should say, we’re not going to trade from our starting pitching depth – and they should certainly keep saying that. But they should also meanwhile away from us, explore things like, hey, if we traded you (Luis) Castillo, how would that look? Or, overwhelm us for (Logan) Gilbert, overwhelm us for (George) Kirby, and just see where it goes.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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