Trade Deadline Dust Settles: A Look at the American League West

The Mariners gave up their best reliever, but did they add anyone to make their situation better?

Seattle Mariners

Players Acquired:

• Joe Smith – RHP
• Abraham Toro – 3B
• Tyler Anderson – LHP
• Diego Castillo – RHP

Players Given Up:

• Kendall Graveman – RHP
• Rafael Montero – RHP
• Carter Bins – C (prospect)
• Joaquin Tejada – RHP (prospect)
• J.T. Chargois – RHP
• Austin Shenton – 3B (prospect)

There is a general consensus by several media outlets that the Seattle Mariners were big losers at the trade deadline. This was due to the fact that the Mariners traded away lights-out reliever, Kendall Graveman, to an interdivisional rival while upsetting the clubhouse in the process, according to Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish.

This might be a bit of an overreaction. Kendall Graveman will be a big free agent in the offseason. The Mariners aren’t well known for resigning big free agents. Being only two and a half games behind the Athletics for the second Wild Card spot in the American League, Mariners’ General Manager Jerry Dipoto wanted to make moves to keep pace.

He flipped Graveman for solid assets in Joe Smith and Abraham Toro. The primary piece for the Mariners here being Toro, a young, switch-hitting infielder that adds a legit big league hitter to the Mariners line up. Toro made quite the impression in his first two games with the Mariners, homering twice off his former team.

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While the Mariners were in hot pursuit of Jose Berríos, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, they ultimately came up short on adding any additional top-tier talent beyond a replacement for Graveman, Diego Castillo from the Tampa Bay Rays. While not quite the mouth-dropping stats as Graveman, Diego is a two-seam flamethrower in his own right and remains under club control for the next few years.

Mariners also added left-handed starting pitcher, Tyler Anderson from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mariners desperately need him at the back of their rotation that has been plagued with injuries all season.Unfortunately, post trade deadline, Mariners will only be able to bring water guns to a tank fight, compared to the moves the Athletics, the Yankees and the Blue Jays made in attempt to vie for a Wild Card playoff spot in the American League.

That is not to say they didn’t improve through the trades. However, their success this year mostly hinges on their young very young line up furthering their development to support J.P. Crawford, Mitch Haniger and  Kyle Seager.