With almost every National League team still in contention for the playoffs, the amount of trade suitors for the Seattle Mariners at the MLB trade deadline on July 30 is unclear.
However, a couple of teams in the National League are already in a situation that suggests they may be waving the white flag as sellers in the coming weeks. Seattle begins a three-game series with one of those teams this weekend against the Miami Marlins, but the other NL bottom dweller – one the M’s have already played this season – was highlighted as a trade partner for Seattle in a recent story by The Athletic’s Jim Bowden.
Bowden believes the Mariners will acquire third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for right-handed starter Emerson Hancock and shortstop prospect Michael Arroyo. Brock Huard of Seattle Sports and guest host Mike Lefko discussed the possible trade between Brock and Salk on Friday.
How can you not do something like that if you’re only giving up those two players, who aren’t even on the big league roster?” Lefko asked.
In 2019, McMahon, 29, established himself as a regular in Colorado’s lineup, hitting 24 home runs with a.250/.328/.450 slash line. He made his debut in 2017. Except for the COVID-shortened season in 2020, McMahon has hit 20 home runs or more in four consecutive seasons, and he has 13 through 73 games of 2024.
He has a career slash line of.246/.326/.433, and he has improved his batting this season, slashing.274/.349/.477, all of which would be career highs. McMahon’s underlying data are also available this season. According to Baseball Savant, he ranks in the 81st percentile or above for xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel rate, hard-hit percentage, and launch-angle sweet spot. However, he has a high strikeout percentage of 28% and a chase rate in the 29th percentile.
One thing to note about McMahon’s offensive productivity is that he’s been a bit of a Coors Field merchant throughout his career, with a 45-point higher batting average and a 116-point higher slugging percentage while hitting in his home stadium. H’s actually had slightly superior road numbers in 2024, hitting.281/.354/.500 versus.267/.345/.450 at home.
McMahon also brings some defensive versatility to the table, as he can play second and first base, and he’s proven to be a strong defender throughout his career. He is in the top 20 in the majors with 29 outs above average and the top 25 with 23 runs averted since 2021.
Additionally, McMahon remains under club control until 2027 after signing a contract extension in 2022. He earns $12 million this season and next, and $16 million in 2026 and 2027.
The price
Bowden’s trade idea benefits Seattle’s offence while avoiding the sale of a valuable prospect from the team’s farm system. Hancock, the Mariners’ No. 6 overall pick in 2020, is now with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers and serves as the team’s sixth starter. The 25-year-old has advanced beyond prospect level after making his debut in 2023 and spending time with the Mariners in 2024. Arroyo is Seattle’s No. 9 prospect, but MLB Pipeline ranks four other potential shortstops ahead of him in the organization. Arroyo, 19, is now in Single-A with the Modesto Nuts.
However, selling Hancock at this point carries some risk. Starter Bryan Woo’s continued arm health concerns create some doubt in the rotation, and trading Hancock would leave Seattle with little insurance for the starting lineup.
“This is a game you can play. Huard stated that in order to obtain something valuable, you must first give up worth.
As Lefko pointed out, adding a bat while risking the rotation may be the type of move that propels Seattle to victory in a playoff series.
“With the amount of rest that’s built in to a best-of-seven series, it is not like a normal, every-single-day (schedule),” Lefko told reporters. “You’re playing two games in one place, you get a day off, you go on the road, you play a couple more, and you get another day off. You may line up three to four starters for an entire series, and if you take the first three, you won’t have to go past your top three starters in a best-of-five.”
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