Mariners Trade Deadline: What’s the market for right-handed bats?

It’s become clear throughout this season the Seattle Mariners are in need of a right-handed bat to help balance their lineup and improve against left-handed pitching.

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With the trade deadline approaching, the Mariners have the chance to address that need.

There may be one problem, though. There isn’t expected to be many impactful right-handed bats available in the trade market.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale discussed the thin market for right-handed bats when he joined Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Wednesday.

“You got guys like, from the Angels, Jo Adell out there. There’s not a ton of guys out there,” Nightengale said. “I mean, the guy that everybody wants is Willson Contreras, who’s had a marvelous year with the Red Sox, but he’s still got two more years of control. I don’t think the Red Sox give up on him, but I think he would be a prize bat. But yeah, there’s just been a lack of those guys. The Philadelphia Phillies have been looking for a bet for quite a while, so they’re in the market and they’re going to be very aggressive. There’s not one magical bat out there.”

Nightengale pointed to the Houston Astros still hanging around in the American League West as one reason the market for right-handed bats looks like it will be so thin.

“People thought OK, we can trade for (Isaac) Paredes or trade for shortstop (Jeremy) Pena or Christian Walker at first base, but now the fact that the AL West has been so down, it’s allowed the Astros to believe that they can win the division,” Nightengale said. “None of those guys are going anywhere now.”

As for Adell and Contreras, they both fill the need for a right-handed bat, but Contreras would be the more impactful acquisition.

Contreras entered Friday batting .283 with a .906 OPS, 18 homers, 14 doubles and two triples in 83 games with Boston. His 147 wRC+ on the season ranked third among primary first baseman in MLB.

Contreras has also excelled against lefties throughout his 11-year career in the majors with a .272 average and .876 OPS. He has a .939 OPS against southpaws this season.

One complicating factor is that Contreras has a full no-trade clause in his contract through this season.

Adell, who’s under club control through 2027, had his first above-average season at the plate last year, but hasn’t been able to replicate that this year with a .243 batting average and .679 OPS with 11 homers in 87 games. The 27-year-old outfielder had one of baseball’s most memorable games in recent years when he robbed three home runs against the Mariners earlier this season, but he’s been a poor defender throughout his career otherwise.

However, Adell could fill the specific role of a platoon outfield bat quite well. He’s hit much better against lefties this season and throughout his career, which includes batting .286 with an .835 OPS and six homers in 100 plate appearance in 2026.

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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