The Seattle Mariners have a problem. Actually, they have a few of them. A year ago, this team was two innings away from the American League pennant. Now they’re stumbling into the All-Star break with a losing record, clinging to the third Wild Card spot while the Rangers and Astros breathe down their neck.
The offense has cratered. Seattle ranks 27th in runs scored. Only Boston, Cleveland, and San Diego have scored fewer. That’s not a typo. The same lineup that rode Cal Raleigh’s 60-homer season to a division title last year looks unrecognizable. Raleigh himself has just nine homers and 29 RBI. He’s not the only one struggling, but he’s the most visible symbol of a team that forgot how to score.
The Mariners need a bat. Maybe two. Corner infield. A slugging outfielder. There are names out there. But here’s the thing: not every trade rumor makes sense just because it fills a hole.
The Isaac Paredes Dilemma
One name that keeps popping up is Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes. He’s an All-Star. He’s hit 31 homers in a season before. He’s under control through next year. On paper, he upgrades the hot corner where J.P. Crawford and Brendan Donovan haven’t cut it.
But Paredes isn’t a difference-maker. He has 12 homers and 47 RBI in 90 games this year. That’s solid. It’s not the kind of production that transforms a lineup from one of the worst in baseball into a playoff threat. The price Seattle would have to pay — prospects, maybe a young arm — would be steep for an incremental improvement. The Mariners need a jolt, not a band-aid. Paredes is a band-aid.
Why Byron Buxton Is a Fantasy
Byron Buxton would be a dream addition. He has 25 homers in 75 games. He’s one of the most electric players in the game when healthy. But that “when healthy” part has been the catch since he was a 21-year-old rookie in 2015. He’s played more than 102 games exactly three times in 12 seasons.
Right now, he’s out with a hip injury. The Twins say he might return after the break. Even if he does, the odds of him staying on the field are not great. And Buxton has made it clear he doesn’t want to be traded. Even if Seattle could pry him loose, they’d be betting on a player whose body has let him down year after year. That’s not a bet a team on the playoff bubble should make.
The Real Fix Might Be in the Bullpen
Here’s the thing nobody is talking enough about: Andres Munoz has 16 saves and five blown saves. His ERA is 4.32. He’s striking out batters at a good clip, but he’s not a lock-down closer. The Mariners need to fix that, too, if they want to make noise in October.
Aroldis Chapman is out there. The Red Sox are selling, even if their fans don’t want to hear it. Boston was 14 games under .500 two weeks ago. Their recent hot streak doesn’t change the math. Chapman is a rental, but he’s a proven closer who can shorten a game. That might actually move the needle more than another bat that doesn’t scare anyone.
The Mariners have a lot of decisions to make. The wrong one could set them back years. The smart play is to aim high or stand pat. Anything in between just wastes another season of good pitching.
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