3 savvy deadline deals to propel Mariners to AL West crown

Striking up a deal with an underachieving AL East club for Yimi Garcia

M's fans dreamed about a four-deep high-leverage unit, which included Andres Munoz, Gregory Santos, Matt Brash, and Ryne Stanek. Unfortunately, Brash is out for the season, reports have Santos making his Mariners' debut in June, and Stanek has had an uneven season. Add the fact that Taylor Saucedo is out for an extended period with a knee issue, and this team is in desperate need of some late-inning reinforcements. This urgent situation calls for immediate action, making the audience aware of the team's current challenges. 

Could the Mariners call up the Blue Jays to try and acquire Yimi Garcia?

The 33-year-old reliever currently is top the leaderboards amongst qualified American League relievers in 0.47 ERA (3rd), 0.58 WHIP (1st), .082 BAA (1st), and 100 LOB % (1st). Those stellar numbers could solidify the backend of manager Scott Servais' bullpen and ultimately help take pressure off a seemingly overworked Andres Munoz. Garcia's age and impending free agency shouldn't drive up the cost of a possible trade package. 

A prospect in the 20-30 range should get Garcia in a Mariners' jersey. We send righthanded pitchers Walter Ford and Alberto Rodriguez to Toronto in this scenario. 

Rounding out the offense with Tommy Pham

The Mariners' outfield is like an island of misfit toys, at least this year's collection of players. The two lefties have above-average contact rates (Canzone, Raley). Due to poor defense and a streaky start in the box, Mitch Haniger has moved from everyday starter to righthanded platoon bat. However, the offense goes as Julio Rodriguez goes, and he isn't going (yet). Even when the 23-year-old outfielder starts clicking, this offense is still at least one bat away from being ready for a long postseason run. 

Plenty of bats, like Christian Walker, Josh Bell, Mark Cahna, and Tommy Pham fit the Mariners' needs for more contact, righthandedness, and a veteran presence. The front office is high on their 8th-rated prospect, Tyler Locklear, who checks two of the three boxes; they may be banking on promoting him to augment the offense. I'd still dive into the trade market and grab Tommy Pham from the White Sox. 

No, he's not an extensive get (see Pete Alonso), but he's a proven veteran who will add a little spunk to the clubhouse, and he mashes lefties. After making a run with the Arizona Diamondback last season, Pham has played 24 games for a White Sox team destined for a 100-loss season. He's hitting (.316/.356/.830) his way onto the trade market and out of the Windy City. 

Pham is another impending free agent who would cost the Mariners another prospect in the 20-30 range and probably a flyer in the Dominican Summer League. Modesto corner infielder Luis Suisbel probably gets the conversation starter. 

Landing Hunter Harvey, an elite reliever, to help shorten games

The extra wild cards have created a scenario in which few quality bats are available, or their price is immense. Would you give up Laz Montes and two or three other top-30 prospects for a power-starved (4 HR) Vlad Guerrero Jr? Or how about Jonny Farmelo and Jeter Martinez for impending free agent Pete Alonso? I don't think the Mariners will either. But they will double down on their strength and look for another high-leverage closer to help spread the workload with Andres Munoz. 

Hunter Harvey, the Washington Nationals' setup man, is the right guy for the job. The 29-year-old reliever has had an excellent season, running a 29.5% strikeout rate and holding opposing batters to a .216 average. 

Harvey brings another triple-digit four-seamer to the bullpen, but the key offering is his split-finger, which he throws a quarter of the time. The two pitches have propelled Harvey into the 96th percentile in missing barrels (1.7%). Adding him to Munoz, Stanek, and a healthy Gregory Santos could effectively shorten games and help Servais lean into the team's foundation, its pitching. 

This one will hurt because of Harvey's performance and the amount of playoff contenders needing bullpen help. A combination of Michael Arroyo and Dylan Wilson would be a starting point for the conversation. 

These moves aren't flashy, but they are precisely what the team needs to realize its potential and take advantage of an open window to the AL West crown.