The Mariners’ .209 team batting average against left-handed pitching is easily the worst in Major League ball. The 29th-ranked Cardinals are hitting .217, while the 2nd-worst mark in the American League belongs to the Oakland A’s, at .224.
For context that’s the same difference between Kirby Puckett (.318) and Robbie Cano at .301. JP is hitting .288 and Julio sits at .278 vs lefties, but every other everyday player is quite south of those numbers. Mitch is hitting .154, while Cal is hitting .123 in 76 PA vs left handed pitching in 2024.
For today, we are sticking with outfielders available on the market. To me, the most logical and realistic path is to acquire a corner outfielder who can hit left-handed pitching. That’s one of the more obvious holes, if not the most, on this M’s roster. They won’t be able to make a deep postseason run if they can’t score three runs when they face Garrett Crochet or Tarik Skubal.
#3 – Randal Grichuk, Arizona Diamondbacks
Grichuk would easily cost the least of the three guys on my list today. For one, he’s really a power platoon bat, hitting .319/.379/.544 vs LHP since the start of 2023. He’s paired with Joc Pederson in Arizona, which is a nice complimentary hit. Joc’s having a great year too, but unfortunately, the Snakes are not. This team could very well be selling and the Mariners should be interested in Grichuk. Being able to plug Randal in behind JP and Julio would add depth in this lineup, and provide punch from the right side that Mitch Haniger has been unable to demonstrate.
Randal Grichuk walks it off for the Snakes in extras! pic.twitter.com/pNYDZyQAvJ
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 17, 2024
Grichuk has a career .822 OPS vs LHP, with only a .735 vs righties. He’s on a one year, $2M prove it deal with Arizona, and they’re sitting 3.0 GB from a Wild Card seed right now. It’s possible they hold, but a slide would likely render them as sellers. If Mike Hazen is selling on July 30th, Grichuk likely wouldn’t cost for a project prospect, since you’re ultimately getting a part-time corner outfielder for two months or so. For a comparable deal, look at when the Mets shipped Tommy to Arizona for scratch ticket Jeremy Rodriguez in the 2023 deadline.
#2 – Taylor Ward, Los Angeles Angels
Taylor isn’t a free agent at the end of the year, which means he will cost more than other guys on the market. While Luke Raley has been solid this year, most of that damage has come against right handed pitching. Haniger has been atrocious this year, and Dominic Canzone has shown power with little contact ability. Ward has two more years of team control after this season, and he’s a solid corner outfielder who will hit .250 with 20 HR power. Depending on whose WAR you’re using, Ward projects somewhere in the 2-3 WAR/year range right now. He’s a solid everyday outfielder, and he can hit lefities quite well.
Taylor Ward – Los Angeles Angels (12)
pic.twitter.com/LLnxaofFCr— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) June 12, 2024
Since the start of 2023, Ward is hitting .327/.389/.551 vs LHP. and his numbers are superior to both Yordan and Soto. Though they’re lefties that is quite an accomplishment for a guy who usually isn’t mentioned in that crowd. Ward can play either right or left, and is ostensibly regarded as a fine defender. Since he’s under team control for those two additional seasons, it’ll cost a haul for a solid everyday player like Taylor. Depending on the market, the Angels could get a top 100 prospect and more.
#1 – Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays
Randy seems to always get the big hits and his .690 career slugging in the Postseason supports that sentiment. Arozarena has the same amount of team control as Ward, but there are some stark differences. Up until recently, Randy had been one of the worst players in the league this year. He’s still only hitting .196, but he hit .291 with a .424 OBP in June. He’s back in form just in time for the deadline and Tampa doesn’t appear to have an interest in a battle for 4th in the Al East. All signs point to them selling.
Randy Arozarena knew he got all of this one. pic.twitter.com/2CctMVlY6X
— MLB (@MLB) June 30, 2024
Arozarena has a career .894 OPS vs LHP, but his .742 OPS vs RHP is acceptable when you consider the other things he can do. Randy has a 20-20 ability that most fans cherish, partially because it shows production, but mostly because power speed guys are fun. They’re catalysts for the lineup, and they instantly give your team energy. He’s an about average defender, so we can’t compare his glove to Mike Cameron, but the offensive profile is similar. Mike hit .256 in Seattle with power and speed, and I’d take that right now. He would be a bigger investment than a rental but the Mariners need to shake things up and take risks, and they could blow this competitive window.
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