Mariners ‘perfect’ trade deadline target is an .831 OPS outfielder with a Cubs problem

Mariners ‘perfect’ trade deadline target is an .831 OPS outfielder with a Cubs problem originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Seattle Mariners are fighting with the Texas Rangers for the AL West lead, and given how close this team got to a World Series last year, their struggles this season are very worrying.

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This team needs to find a way to upgrade at the MLB trade deadline if they want to make a serious postseason push. With a clear need for a right-handed hitter, there aren’t many options who’d be available for the Mariners.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller identified an .831 OPS outfielder as the Mariners “perfect” trade target this summer. But, there’s one issue: The Chicago Cubs are almost certainly not going to trade this outfielder, Seiya Suzuki, this season.

Mariners ‘perfect’ trade target is Seiya Suzuki, with obvious Cubs problem

“Seattle Mariners (73.0% postseason odds): OF Seiya Suzuki,” Miller writes. “… Buyer-to-buyer trades at the deadline don’t happen often, but Seattle would be motivated to get creative to acquire a two-month rental of Seiya Suzuki and his .945 OPS vs. LHP.”

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The Cubs are not going to be sellers this season. Suzuki is almost surely not going anywhere, as the Cubs have a chance to make a deep postseason run this year.

But, despite this problem, Miller believes that there could be a creative deal between the Cubs and Mariners involving Suzuki. This deal could send one of the Mariners’ starting pitchers to land Suzuki.

MORE: Yankees send scouts to Cubs vs. Twins series amid trade interest in three players

With an abundance of rotation arms, the Mariners could easily justify trading one to the Cubs to acquire Suzuki. The only issue is that the Cubs might not see such an exchange as worth it.

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Would they really want to downgrade their offensive production to add a starter? Suzuki has an .831 OPS this season, and has posted 2.8 bWAR on the year in 85 games and 318 at-bats.

This year has been one of the best of his career, and Suzuki clearly would be a major upgrade for the Mariners. But the Cubs’ reluctance to deal him as contenders will make things very tricky for the Mariners in pursuit of their “perfect” trade deadline target.

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