The Seattle Mariners has little choice but to go all-in at the Major league Baseball trade deadline. Mariners manager Dan Wilson has led his team within one game of the led in the American League West after Seattle walked off the Chicago White Sox. Their latest winning streak is thanks to their two additions from the Arizona Diamondbacks: Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor.
Naylor's addition to the Mariners' roster came as a bit of a surprise. However, he gives Wilson a much better offensive option at first base. However, Seattle going out and trading for Suarez was arguably the defining move of the trade deadline. The All-Star third baseman was the premier target on the trade market, and the Mariners outbid multiple interested teams to bring him in.
Every move that contenders make at the trade deadline is a risk they are willing to take. Trading for Suarez gives the Mariners a much more formidable lineup at the plate. However, it is a big swing that could come back to bite them. After making the moves it did, Seattle needs to either win the World Series or get very close for it to be worth the potential long-term cost.
The Mariners regretted trading Suarez away a few years ago. However, Seattle has a chance to correct that error with a deep run this season. If the team can't make it into the postseason or goes home early, the pressure gets cranked up to a new level heading into the offseason. Bringing in players like Naylor and Suarez sets the bar even higher than it was before the trade deadline.
Trading for their new infielders fulfilled the Mariners' goals in late July. Now it is time to see whether or not it was worth the cost.
Did the Mariners do enough to keep pace with the AL contenders?
Seattle was one of many teams in the American League that took off at the trade deadline. The front office took full advantage of the fact that the Diamondbacks went into the market looking to sell on their veterans. However, they were not the only team in the AL who made big deals on July 31. The other surprise move at the trade deadline came from a team in their own division.
The Houston Astros shocked the league when they reunited with Carlos Correa. His arrival in Houston makes the Astros even more dangerous. With Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez close to returning at full power, the current leaders in the AL West have many reasons to be optimistic moving forward. However, Seattle remains their biggest competition in their division.
The Mariners have a talented roster. Early in the season, experts said that Wilson's roster needed some balance. The pitching staff was good, but the offense needed to catch up. Seattle then saw Cal Raleigh embark on a historic season at the plate, giving the team their best chance at an MVP since Ichiro Suzuki. Adding Suarez and Naylor gives the offense even more power.
When ranking teams in the AL, the Mariners are at best the fifth team right now. That is good enough for them to get into the postseason. However, their goals are set just a little bit higher. After making their additions at the trade deadline, Seattle hopes that the new additions can help them go toe-to-toe with teams like the Detroit Tigers in a playoff series.
If things don't work out this season, the Mariners are in a tough spot. The odds of them keeping both Naylor and Suarez are slim.
Teams are ready to throw a lot of money at Suarez and Naylor
Both Naylor and Suarez are in the final year of their contracts. Expiring deals are the most commonly moved contracts at the trade deadline. Contenders bring in rentals as they try to make their run at a championship that season. For the first time in a while, the Mariners were in that position at the deadline. They didn't waste any time bringing in impactful players.
Adding big names at the trade deadline is great in the long term. However, teams that fail to win are often left losing the player in free agency to a team willing to pay more. The Mariners, for example, are a small market team with a lot of money committed to their best players. Wilson has done a great job with his roster, even though it lacks the star power of his rivals.
Seattle will not be able to keep both Naylor and Suarez after this season. Multiple teams were interested in both ahead of the deadline, especially Suarez. Each of them have played well enough to earn multiyear deals that could net them north of $15 million annually.
That kind of commitment is a lot for the Mariners to make, but other squads won't hesitate to make those kinds of offers. It leaves Seattle in a position where they need to win now or else.
Regardless of how their season ends, no one can say that the Mariners did not try as hard as they could to win a title. Trading for Naylor and Suarez is a calculated risk that they team needed to make. Rodriguez has set himself apart in Seattle's history, but he can't do everything himself. Despite the upgrades, a lot is riding on the rest of the Mariners' season and potential playoff run.
