(Editor’s note: All stats are as of Aug 5 2025)

This year’s trade deadline was a nail-biter to say the least. The Mariners struck early when they swiped Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks, finally gaining an everyday first baseman. It was not until the final day of the deadline that the Mariners shocked the market and traded for Eugenio Suarez, the former Mariner and most coveted player at the deadline.

As of Aug 5, Suarez is batting 0.243, slugging 0.565, is fourth in the league for homeruns (37) and third for RBI’s (89). In comparison Ben Williamson, the Mariners’ previous third baseman for much of this year, is batting 0.253, slugging 0.310, has only one homerun and only 21 RBI’s.

At first base, Naylor takes over for the platoon of Luke Raley and Donovan Solano who both combine for a total of 38 RBI’s and seven homeruns on the year. Naylor by his lonesome has 63 RBI’s and 13 homeruns. Although Raley

and Solano have been strong defensively and consistent at the plate, their lack of overall power makes Naylor the obvious pick as their everyday first baseman.

Although their time with the Mariners has been short, their impact has been felt already. Suarez has posted three hits, four runs scored and one homerun. Naylor has posted eight hits, one double, four runs scored, two homeruns and four RBI’s through 11 games in Seattle. While they may not have carried the Mariners to their series win against the Texas Rangers last weekend, they played an integral part in the three wins.

Much of the Mariners’ struggles at the plate this year have come from holes in the batting order. But, these additions to the roster create a batting order that has production up and down the card.

Although they have members of their lineup who are competent hitters (Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena and J.P Crawford for example) their middle and bottom half of the order has struggled much of the year (i.e Ben Williamson, Luke Raley, Donovan Solano and occasionally Dylan Moore).

However, with both Naylor and Geno able to be plugged into this lineup, those holes can be filled quite easily. When players like Arozarena, Crawford, Rodriguez and Raleigh get on base, they have Suarez and Naylor right behind them to drive them in to score, and vice versa.

Currently the M’s are clinging to the second wild card spot in the American League with a one game lead over the New York Yankees. With two months of baseball left to play, there is still plenty of time for the Mariners to chase down the Astros for the top spot in the AL West, or possibly slide out of the Wild Card race completely. With that in mind, what can the Mariners do to make the most of this power hitting lineup? There are two main things they can do…

Platoon Victor Robles with Canzone

Some Mariners fans may have forgotten about Victor Robles after his shoulder dislocation back in April. At that time, the Mariners had been swept by the San Francisco Giants and were in one of the worst team slumps of the year.

But, after more than three months on the bench, Robles is on track to return just in the nick of time. He is currently expected to start his rehab assignment with the Tacoma Rainers on Aug 12 and will most likely be ready for big league action near the end of the month.

In lieu of Robles, Canzone has found himself as the everyday right fielder for the M’s especially with Raley on the IL. With Canzone being a lefty batter and Robles being a righty, this makes for a perfect platoon opportunity.

Although both Canzone and Robles are competent bats, they lack the consistent power and performance that other members of the lineup have. According to Baseball Savant, both hitters perform better against mismatched pitching, meaning Robles is better against lefties and Canzone is better against righties.

If the Mariners want to get the most production out of their corner outfield position, platooning Robles and Canzone is the right move.

Move Bryce Miller to the bullpen

Although injuries struck early in the year, the starting rotation for the Mariners has bounced back to fighting shape… except for Bryce Miller.

Miller has faltered and stalled out through many of his starts this year. Issues with control were the initial culprit, and then the injury bug struck next. He currently sits with an ERA of 5.73, the worst out of any starting pitcher in the rotation with the fewest innings pitched.

After making a rehab start with the Rainiers earlier this week, Miller should be primed to rejoin the M’s soon. But, if the Mariners want to get the most out of their young right-hander, they may consider changing his job description.

It is no secret that Miller has struggled to go deep into the ball games that he has started. His control and velocity have dipped as games went on, leading to him being chased out of his 10 starts. However, by having Miller serve as a middle reliever, he can keep his pitch count low while still coming through in big moments.

Imagine teams facing Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Logan Evans or Luis Castillo for six long innings, just for Miller to lock them down in the seventh and eighth followed by Andres Munoz closing the game in the ninth.

Although he is still a competent starter for the M’s, a brief stint in the back-half of the bullpen may be Miller’s best chance to help the Mariners go deep into playoffs.

With about two months until October, there is still plenty of time for things to change. Players may get hurt or fall into slumps and other teams might get hot enough to oust the Mariners from their wild card spot. But, with the lineup that the Mariners have constructed at the trade deadline, they have a carved a path to the postseason that not many teams can match.