On Tuesday July 30th, the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline came and went at 3:00 PM Pacific. Yes, the Mariners picked up two bats, (who have both seen a recent successful run as of the last two months) and two strong arms in the back half of the bullpen.
But was it enough?
Cries from the fanbase erupted after series losses to Houston and Los Angeles, (three-game sweep) to begin the second half of the season. The team headed east to the South side of Chicago to take on the league-worst White Sox.
Then Jerry Dipoto and friends made the biggest splash in the league to date prior to the deadline on Thursday 7/25. 2021 ROY/2023 All-Star Randy Arozarena was headed to the PNW. A team badly needing production in the outfield, especially with star CF Julio Rodriguez on the ten-day IL (ankle), acquired a Tampa Bay fan favorite who since June the first, had slashed .290/.402/.517 (.920 OPS) prior to joining the Mariners.
The return for Randy was Seattle prospects RHP Brody Hopkins, OF Aidan Smith, and a player to be named later.
Then the next day, it was time to bolster the bullpen. 33-year-old Yimi Garcia (2.70 ERA, 42 K, 30 IP - prior to joining SEA) was dealt to the Mariners for OF Jonatan Clase and C Jacob Sharp.
All while this is happening, Seattle took the first two games against Chicago, where both Randy and Yimi made their debuts in Saturday's victory.
On Sunday, Ty France was sent to Cincinnati, along with cash considerations for C Andruw Salcedo. Ty, a 2022 All-Star, hasn’t been the same offensively productive in the past 1.5 seasons. So far in ’24, France had slashed .223/.312/.350 (.662 OPS) with just eight home runs as a member of the M's.
Seattle secured the sweep against CWS on Sunday to move them back into a tie for first in the American League West.
Monday came around, and as the team landed in Boston, accompanied by Arozarena and Garcia, trades continued to go on behind the scenes.
With France now a Red, Seattle needed to find 1B depth. Though there was a sexier option North of the border, but instead, the Mariners traded for veteran, two-time All-Star Justin Turner. The 39-year-old, since June 1st, had slashed .301/.401/.399 (.800 OPS) with the Jays. Seattle picked up a chunk of his current contract while sending OF RJ Schreck.
Series opener with Boston didn’t go as planned, thanks to a blatant missed call by Umpire Andy Fletcher. With two down in the bottom of the third, ’24 All-Star Logan Gilbert painted a four-seam fastball on the outside half to RF Wilyer Abreu. What should have ended the inning, resulted in a 2-RBI single, followed by a 2-run home run, followed by three RBI doubles…
(Pitch 5)Photo: Brown, Rory
After the missed call, Gilbert was picked apart by Boston. He only lasted 2.2 IP - his shortest start of the season. The Sox took game one by a football score: 14-7. Arozarena did hit his first Mariner-home run Monday, and the Astros lost to Pittsburgh, keeping a deadlock intact atop the West.
Tuesday. Deadline Day. Mariner fans across the nation wanting one more bullpen arm and a bat to fit into the everyday lineup…
They got one of those two, but beggars couldn’t be choosers before 3:00 PM on Tuesday. Former-Mariner JT Chargois was brought back to Seattle for minor leaguer RHP Will Schomberg. Chargois, though starting the season on the IL, has been solid since his return as a member of the Miami Marlins: 1.62 ERA, 12 SO in 16+ IP. Another reason this move was made was because RHP Ryne Stanek was dealt to the New York Mets over the weekend.
Justin Turner got his first start at First Base for the Mariners on Tuesday night against one of his former teams in the Boston Red Sox. Turner reached base on a single, which also scored Victor Robles in the top half of the first inning.
Newly re-acquired, and former-Mariner “Big Maple” James Paxton got the start for Boston.
It was Luis Castillo on the bump in the middle game for Seattle. After cruising through two innings, Rafael Devers appeared. Devers, who has had major success against Seattle throughout his career, put a what-looked-like a popout over the Green Monster which resulted in three Boston runs.
Unlike Monday, Seattle showed their fight after falling behind. Behind Jorge Polanco, Dylan Moore and miscues by the Red Sox infield, the M’s put up nine runs over three innings, including five-run fifth.
Castillo’s only blemish was the Devers’ three-run bomb. He got the win, as did his team by a final of 10-6. The Pirates also took down Houston for the second night in a row, and as of Tuesday night, Seattle was back in sole possession of first in the division.
Series finale and rubber match went down on Wednesday afternoon in Beantown. George Kirby got the nod for the Mariners up against Brayan Bello.
George had a very unlikely George-type inning in the first. A walk, double and wild pitch scored Boston’s first run.
Dylan Moore, who’s had a great road trip, leveled up the score in the fourth thanks to a two-out RBI single that scored the Big Dumper. The following inning, and leadoff man Josh Rojas laced a solo shot on a well-located Bello changeup to give the M’s the lead.
Kirby was able to muscle through five plus innings but couldn’t escape with the lead as a Danny Jansen RBI single was the last batter he faced.
Seattle certainly had their chances to take the lead late, but ultimately folded in those multiple situations. Mitch Garver was the culprit throughout the finale, but as a team, the Mariners went 1-14 with RISP.
Bottom ten, and 2x Silver Slugger Rafael Devers dug in with a chance to win it for the Sox. Most thought… Intentionally Walk him, right? That run doesn’t matter, and he’s killed you all series, and… Manager Scott Servais said to hell with that. Result? GW RBI double off of the Green Monster. Boston took the series after their 3-2 victory in the finale Wednesday.
Rafael Devers went 7-13, including 5 RBIs in the three-game set. Here's him after the walk off double in the finale.Photo: Winslow Townson / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
Off day Thursday as the M’s travel back to sunny Seattle to play host to the league’s best Philadelphia Phillies beginning Friday night.
Philly, though losers in seven of their last ten games, rank in the top ten in almost all qualified stats on both sides of the ball.
Pitching probables for PHI @ SEA…
- Friday 8/2, 6:40 PM: RHP Tyler Phillips (3-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP Bryan Woo (4-1, 2.35 ERA)
- Saturday 8/3, 6:40 PM: LHP Kolby Allard (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. RHP Bryce Miller (8-7, 3.46 ERA)
- Sunday 8/4, 1:10 PM: RHP Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.94 ERA) vs. RHP Logan Gilbert (6-7, 3.11 ERA)
American League West standings as of 9:00 AM Friday, 8/2:
- Houston Astros (56-52), Seattle Mariners (57-53)
- Texas Rangers (52-57), 4.5 GB
- Los Angeles Angels (47-62), 9.5 GB
- Oakland Athletics (45-65), 12.0 GB