Mariners looking at Josh Naylor trade deja vu originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Last season, the Seattle Mariners made a huge splash at the trade deadline by bringing aboard Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor.
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Naylor had the better stretch run, and he’s the one the Mariners signed to a long-term contract, but the most informative part for this season is the intention that Seattle showed a year ago.
They were in the picture, and they didn’t shy away.
Given that the Mariners are very clearly in the picture again, don’t expect them to shy away this time, either.
Fittingly, they have hitting needs again.
“President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has never been shy about making a big move, acquiring both Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez prior to last year’s Trade Deadline,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand wrote as part of a new article on Tuesday. “Those moves helped the Mariners make a run to the ALCS, creating excitement and expectations for a team that has never been to the World Series. Seattle has needs – namely a right-handed power bat who can play third base, corner outfield or DH – and Dipoto has found ways to get creative on the trade market over the years.”
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Ironically, one of the needs that Feinsand names is a “right-handed power bat who can play third base.” Yep, that’s exactly what Suarez was and is, just now with the Cincinnati Reds. Suarez signed a one-year contract for about $15 million this offseason, so the Mariners probably could’ve brought him back.
Seattle did make one pseudo-addition already when it called up top prospect Colt Emerson from Triple-A, and he has hit the ground running, so that helps.
Expect the Mariners to stay active as the deadline approaches, though. That’s what Dipoto does, and he’s proven recently that he won’t hold back to make his team better.
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