The crazy Mariners trade idea that just might work: George Springer

The Seattle Mariners’ main problems this season are easy to identify.

They’re not slugging enough, and with their lineup heavy on left-handed hitters, they’ve been the worst offense in baseball against left-pitchers.

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That last part really stands out since the M’s added Rob Refsnyder, considered one of the best right-handed platoon bats in the game over the past few seasons, as an offseason signing in free agency. It hasn’t worked out, as the 35-year-old Refsnyder has struggled to a .133 batting average with just three extra-base hits in 49 games this season, and he’s now on the injured list looking to recover from knee issues.

The Mariners could certainly still use a veteran right-handed bat with slugging ability to help out their unbalanced lineup, and there’s a potential – and controversial – MLB trade deadline target worth talking about: Toronto Blue Jays slugger George Springer.

The bad before the good

Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first, because if you’re a Mariners fan, chances are you consider Springer a villain, or at the very least just don’t like him very much. Perhaps it’s because he hit the dramatic, go-ahead home run for the Blue Jays in Game 7 of last year’s American League Championship Series that sunk Seattle’s World Series hopes and sent Toronto to its first World Series since 1993. Or probably more likely, you remember him as a longtime thorn in the Mariners’ side while a member of the Houston Astros, who, yes, was part of Houston’s 2017 championship team marred by a sign stealing scandal.

Personally, I have always found Springer to be one of the least egregious of the players known to take part in Houston’s sign stealing. He showed remorse for the scandal, saying, “I feel horrible for our sport, our game, you know, our fans, our city, our organization – just fans in general. I regret everything,” to NPR in 2020. And it seemed like he couldn’t get out of town fast enough, leaving the Astros and heading north over the border when he hit free agency for the first time after the 2020 season.

Like him or not, he would be a strong add to the Mariners roster before MLB’s Aug. 3 trade deadline.

The right fit

The 36-year-old Springer is on an expiring contract, and the Blue Jays have stumbled this season while dealing with all kinds of injury issues — maybe a byproduct of going to seven games not just against Seattle in the ALCS last fall but also in their World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kinda sounds familiar to what the Mariners have been going through after the longest postseason run in franchise history, though the M’s are fortunate to be in a very down AL West and have seen better results on the field than Toronto.

Second, Springer is very similar to what the Mariners thought they were getting in Refsnyder: a right-handed DH bat who will get on base and hit for extra bases.

Springer isn’t having his best season, which – like with Refsnyder – could be concerning given his age. In 62 games, he’s slashing .221/.309/.375 for a .684 OPS with a minus-0.1 bWAR, all career low marks. He also missed some time in April due to a fractured toe. But unlike Refsynder, he’s had a few streaks of strong hitting in 2026, including a recent seven-game stretch where he hit .393 with a 1.080 OPS, two home runs, a double, three stolen bases and two walks to just four strikeouts.

Springer wouldn’t necessarily solve Seattle’s problems against lefty pitching, but he is slashing better against them (.250/.364/.453 for an .817 OPS) than he is against righties this year (.210/.287/.347, .634 OPS) and is generally platoon neutral for his career.

More important, though, is that Springer is one of the all-time great postseason performers. And that would sure be valuable for a Mariners team with the goal of reaching the World Series for the first time ever. He’s played in 83 career playoff games, has reached the World Series three times, is a former World Series MVP, and is tied for third all-time with 23 playoff home runs.

Even if Springer’s performance this season is worrisome, consider that he’s not even a year removed from hitting three homers and three doubles with a 1.053 OPS in the ALCS against the Mariners, then slashing .381/.409/.429 for an .838 OPS in five World Series games against the Dodgers.

For now, the Blue Jays are still in the AL Wild Card picture even as they sit five games under .500. But if they decide they’re not real contenders this year and want to shop Springer as a rental, the M’s have a history of making deals with longtime Toronto general manager Ross Atkins.

In two separate deals at the trade deadline in 2024, Seattle sent outfielder Jonatan Clase and a couple prospects to Toronto for veteran infielder Justin Turner and reliever Yimi García. And ahead of the 2023 season, the M’s got slugging outfielder Teoscar Hernández from the Jays for relievers Erik Swanson and Adam Macko.

So no, Springer isn’t the most well liked player for Mariners fans. And no, this hasn’t been his best season. But if he’s available as a rental, he should be within Seattle’s means to acquire. And most important, when you want to end a franchise-long World Series drought, wouldn’t you want the guy that beat you last year to end a different franchise’s own 30-plus year absence from the Fall Classic on your side?

Seattle Mariners news and more

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