Possible trade target Bryan De La Cruz shows Mariners what they're missing

Bryan De La Cruz chose a convenient time to have one of his best all-around games of the season. By win probability added, Friday was his third-most impactful day as a hitter. De La Cruz's solo home run in the sixth inning got the Miami Marlins on the scoreboard (he's now on pace for 30 homers in 2024). His leadoff single in the ninth inning nearly set up the game-winning run, though it would ultimately take 10 innings for the Marlins to walk it off again. He also doubled and made a challenging (by his standards) running catch in left field.

De La Cruz emerged as an everyday player in 2023, but he's been even more consistent through the first half of his age-27 campaign to make Marlins games occasionally watchable in the midst of a doomed season.

Convenient timing because the Marlins were hosting the American West-leading Seattle Mariners. Seeking their first division title in 23 years, the Mariners are certain to be buyers leading up to the MLB trade deadline. They'll be shopping for bats, specifically ones like DLC's.

"The Mariners plan to be aggressive with their push for some kind of offensive addition," The Athletic reported on Thursday. Despite a 44-34 record, they rank 25th in Major League Baseball in runs scored.

De La Cruz would address position(s) of need for Seattle. Mitch Garver, who has served as the primary designated hitter for the Mariners this season, has the lowest batting average in MLB among players with 200-plus at-bats. Garver's struggles have come against right-handed pitching (.158 BA and 77 wRC+). De La Cruz is a righty as well, but he's been largely immune to the platoon disadvantage during his career.

Seattle's right-handed corner outfielders are similarly underwhelming. They reunited with Mitch Haniger this past offseason in a bad contract swap. Although Haniger has been uncharacteristically durable in 2024, the trade has done nothing to rejuvenate his bat—the 33-year-old has performed far below replacement level (-0.8 fWAR), on pace for a career-low slugging percentage. Earlier this month, the Mariners picked Victor Robles off the scrap heap to be their part-time left fielder. He's slashing .353/.421/.471 so far, but his 20 most recent plate appearances should not carry as much weight as the 1,000 that came before it. I doubt Robles' presence would block them from acquiring a bonafide run producer.

Beyond his current numbers, De La Cruz will be appealing on the trade market due to his affordability and club control. He'll only be arbitration-eligible for the first time next year and he's controllable through the 2027 season. That also gives the Marlins leverage: there is no urgency for them to trade him unless they're thrilled with the return. DLC's expected offensive stats (.268 xBA and .346 xwOBA) are even better than his actual ones (.252 BA and .323 wOBA), so they ought to be soliciting offers that account for some positive regression.

The Athletic's reporting mentions third baseman Ben Williamson as a prospect "on people's radars" when it comes to Seattle trade chips. The 23-year-old has a 105 wRC+ at the Double-A level, fueled by a 14.4% walk rate. His presence would be welcome in an organization with a long-term opening at the hot corner and a dearth of disciplined hitters.

In addition to Williamson, I would expect the Marlins to pursue teenage shortstops Tai Peete and Dawel Joseph. Peete was Seattle's third selection (30th overall pick) in the 2023 MLB Draft, while Joseph received the highest signing bonus in their 2024 international free agent class. They're currently assigned to Low-A and the Dominican Summer League, respectively. Peete would immediately become Miami's top shortstop prospect and a top-10 overall player in their farm system.

If De La Cruz maintains his 2024 performance for another month and the Mariners continue to struggle to score runs, I think a Peete/Williamson package is the best-case scenario for what Miami could get from Seattle. A Joseph/Williamson pairing should be the bare minimum, and that's contingent on Joseph heating up after a sluggish start to his professional career. Would that be enough for you to pull the trigger?