Salk: 3 low-risk rentals for Mariners at MLB trade deadline

We are just two weeks away from the MLB trade deadline, and the Seattle Mariners are in prime position to strike.

Why ESPN’s Passan expects Mariners will be aggressive in trades

They currently hold a wild card spot and are within striking distance of the division leader. This is a down year for the entire American League, which gives the Mariners an even more clear mandate to take this last opportunity to add talent to its roster. And with one of the best and deepest farm systems in baseball (plus some new redundancies at key positions thanks to the recent draft), the Mariners are in a very good spot.

That’s why it’s fun to consider the big names who could make a similarly sized impact. Last week, I wrote about pie in the sky options: Ronald Acuña Jr., Alex Bregman and Matt Olson. Those are all exceedingly unlikely, if not altogether impossible.

The next tier down includes rental bats like Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor and Ryan O’Hearn. Each of those players would make a huge difference in lengthening the lineup. Adding two would sure make the Mariners look like a legitimate contender.

There are some controllable bullpen arms that would fit the same category. Minnesota’s Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran and Brock Stewart would all make a huge difference as leverage relievers if the Twins are willing to sell.

There are good reliever options in the rental market, as well. Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan doesn’t strike out as many batters as the top closers, but he has been successful this season. Pirates closer David Bednar is having an excellent season and thus would cost more, but he is a two-month rental who racks up strikeouts. And as a leverage reliever, it would allow the M’s to deploy a strikeout artist (either him or Matt Brash) in earlier innings to shut down a rally.

Any of those names would make an excellent addition to the Mariners. But most deadline moves are small. It’s rare to be able to get an ace like Luis Castillo or an All-Star like Randy Arozarena. Deals this time of year tend to look a lot more like what the Royals just did at the All-Star break, giving up very little to get two months of Adam Frazier.

With that in mind, here are three smaller, secondary moves the Mariners could consider at the deadline. These trades are a lot easier to pull off, though obviously their impact would be more limited.

Rental trade targets for the Mariners

1. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, utility, Pittsburgh Pirates

This would be a traditional two-month rental, but Kiner-Falefa is capable of providing some depth all over the field. He can more than capably handle shortstop, second base, third base or an outfield spot while making lots of contact. Unfortunately, his value is limited because he just doesn’t have much pop. Never has. He has hit just one home run this year and has never hit more than eight in a season. But at 30 years old, he would provide depth in case of another injury to Jorge Polanco or a downturn from one of the young infielders.

Regardless, this isn’t a perfect fit. IKF doesn’t provide much more than what the M’s already have in rookie third baseman Ben Williamson. This would be more of a Dylan Moore replacement (he is an excellent baserunner) but without the occasional power. And quite frankly, I might prefer to see Leo Rivas if the need were to arise.

2. Willi Castro, utility, Minnesota Twins

Unlike Kiner-Falefa, Castro has some upside in his bat. He won’t make as much contact and he’ll strike out more, but he has been an above-average hitter for three straight seasons and currently sports an enviable .791 OPS for the season. That is considerably above his career average, but at age 28 and going into free agency, there would be no reason not to pay for a hot bat that could decline next year – by then he’d likely be elsewhere.

Castro has had a bad defensive season, ranking in just the seventh percentile with a minus-6 defensive run value according to Baseball Savant, but that is an outlier in his career. I would imagine a few weeks with Mariners infield coach Perry Hill, and a more permanent home at the hot corner, would take care of that. It would mean Seattle upgrading its offense at third base from the seventh percentile to the 84th. That’s a massive difference.

3. Andrew Kittredge, reliever, Baltimore Orioles

In full transparency, the third player on this list was originally going to be old friend Paul Sewald, who is currently with the Cleveland Guardians, but he just went on the injured list for the second time this season with a shoulder strain.

Luckily, there’s a similar reliever on another American League team that could be readying to sell: Spokane product and former UW Huskies pitcher Andrew Kittredge.

Like Sewald, he’s 35, has dealt with injury this season and would be a rental, but has a track record of success in high leverage. An All-Star in 2021 with Tampa Bay, Kittredge is making $9 million this season but just has a club option at the same figure for 2026. That adds up to potential veteran impact at what should be a relatively cheap trade cost. Best case scenario, you get a bullpen version of Seattle’s trade for Justin Turner last season.

In 24 appearances since coming off the IL in late May, Kittredge has a 4.01 ERA and 1.135 WHIP for the Orioles. His underlying numbers look promising, with strong chase, walk, barrel and ground ball percentages.

This wouldn’t be the same as adding Jax or someone of that caliber, but Kittredge would be an upgrade over some of the lower-leverage arms the Mariners are currently using. He has been solid throughout his career and has some postseason experience, which you can’t say for Casey Legumina, Trent Thornton or some of the other names that have populated a spot in the ‘pen this season.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Rowdy Tellez back in big leagues a month after last game for Mariners
• Randy Arozarena has been what the Mariners were hoping for
• Did contract extension unlock Raleigh for his incredible year?
• Mariners rookie Cole Young starting to turn a corner
• Insider report indicates Seattle Mariners could trade Harry Ford soon

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