Seattle Mariners Trade Rumors: Kendrys Morales and Beyond

Kendrys Morales is back. Are the Seattle Mariners done dealing?

The rumors continue, and they will most likely continue until the deadline passes. Given the fact that Morales has not exactly been killing it with a bat this season, there may be an ongoing assumption that the M’s are not done.

Drew Stubbs from the Colorado Rockies. Ryan Howard from the Philadelphia Phillies. Casey McGehee from the Miami Marlin. Starling Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Matt Kemp from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lest we forget, Ben Zobrist and David Price are still out there. Take your pick of the rumors, but they all have barriers. Some clubs are going to be hesitant to deal, some deals would cost too many prospects, and some deals may saddle the Mariners with unwieldly contracts. Yes, we’re talking about you, Mr. Howard.

How about this for an odd theory…could the Mariners actually be done making trades for 2014? Is the trade for Kendrys Morales the extent of Jack Zduriencik’s moves before the deadline?

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Despite the weak hitting from Morales this season, perhaps his acquisition will send a message to the locker room that the front office is willing to improve the team. At least, maybe that is Zduriencik’s hope. Morales has been a respected hitter in the past, and his very presence may spark the current lineup to perform just a little bit better.

Granted, that may be wishful thinking given that the Mariners have so many hitters that struggle to get on base. Will Morales being around really make these guys “believe” that they can raise their OBP?

The Mariners have an on-base percentage of .298, which is good for 29th in the league. That is a sorry number, and it may be the one thing that sinks this team. Something has to change.

Truthfully, this team does not need a devasting offense. They just can’t continue with their recent lack of production.

At this point, the Mariners need to make a decision. Either the front office has to go out and get a lot more help (unlikely), or the team needs to somehow discover a hidden well of confidence that translates to consistent players on the basepaths.

Could the Mariners be done dealing? They could. In a few short days we will know for sure.