Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Mariners have been in early-stages of trade discussions with the Philadelphia Phillies about outfielder, Ben Revere. Revere’s biggest attribute is his speed, which would certainly help the the Mariners, who rank 21st in MLB, with 24 stolen bases. The problem with Revere is that he’s a one-trick pony. He’s a below-average left fielder, who has a weak arm, and his presence would drag down an already weak defensive unit for the Mariners. Offensively, he is a singles hitter, who has a .270 average with a .312 OBP, so even with his speed, Revere is not an ideal lead-off hitter.
Instead of scouring the trade market looking for stop-gaps, and giving up prospects for those players, the Mariners just need to be patient with the team they have. Robinson Cano is too good to continue at his current pace. Kyle Seager is starting to find his stroke. The team just traded for Mark Trumbo, although I don’t think that was a wise move. Eventually, this team is going to hit, and I don’t believe their offense will end up being their Achilles heel.
Instead of acquiring players that aren’t going to improve your team all that much, like Revere and Trumbo, general manager, Jack Zduriencik, should start looking for a closer to replace Fernando Rodney. Rodney has single-handedly lost the Mariners a handful of games in 2015, and that seems like a more urgent hole to fill than the outfield.
The starting pitching could use some depth behind Felix Hernandez as well. Hisashi Iwakuma will eventually return, and Taijuan Walker has shown some flashes of brilliance recently. If the team is serious about contending for a playoff spot, should they feel good about going into the playoffs with that pitching staff?
The Mariners should save the prospects that they would give up in a deal for Revere, and go after Jonathan Papelbon, or Scott Kazmir. It’s moves like these, and the hiring of manager, Lloyd McClendon, that make me wonder if Zduriencik is the right man for the job. The Mariners ownership opened up their checkbooks the past two offseasons to allow him the resources to build a contender, but he has failed to do so. If the Mariners miss the playoffs in 2015, there may be an open general manager position in Seattle.
Jason Fletcher is a MLB Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twiter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.
