The Mariners were quite aggressive in their pursuit of filling the large vacuum at designated hitter and the corner infield positions, as this offence still lacks a few components.
While trades were happening left and right, Mariners fans were constantly scrolling their feed in the hopes of seeing another big move—they’re still waiting for the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. trade to happen—that would truly make this offence a threat to opposing teams.
A former All-Star was added by the Mariners to strengthen their lineup.
When I saw that the Mariners had acquired the Toronto Blue Jays, I let out a loud gasp before the video shut off. Furiously, I opened it and saw that it was, indeed, Justin Turner. I must admit that I was let down to not see Vlad’s name on my screen, but Mariners supporters—including myself—should be ecstatic that Dipoto was able to sign Justin Turner from Toronto. Turner is a pretty good bat, even though it appears that this is sort of a pivot off of Vlad, and that may be more of a long shot.
Turner, a 39-year-old veteran of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has a tonne of postseason experience. Before hitting free agency this year, the right-handed batter is due $13 million (is John Stanton finally affording some payroll flexibility?). If they want to give Rojas a day off, or if Locklear heats up (or perhaps another first base move is coming), Turner can also play a strong first base and man the hot corner.
Turner is hitting.254/.349/.371 this year with just six home runs, which may scare you, but he is a genuine professional hitter. An 11.2% walk rate and a 17.2% strikeout rate will provide much-needed stability to a lineup in need of it. Actually, he would tie Cal Raleigh for the highest on-the-ball club with his 109 wRC+.
Turner is a machine for doubles (67 over 2022 and 2023), and even while his launch angle is excellent and his home run totals are low (which makes sense considering his age of 39), he doesn’t hit the ball very hard. These traits should help him succeed in Seattle. In addition, Turner has been slashing.301/.401/.399 since June 1st, indicating that he is heating up—something the Mariners desperately need.
The Blue Jays received RJ Schreck, a former ninth-round pick from the 2023 draft, from the Mariners in return. After an excellent stint in Everett, where he slashed.261/.401/.464 with 12 home runs, he was just called up to Double-A Arkansas. Although Schreck is a promising young player who is only now reaching Double-A, Seattle should consider making this transaction easily.
All in all, this most likely indicates that the Mariners are not in the running for Vlad Jr. or Yandy Diaz, but as a comfort, it doesn’t get much better. Turner is one of the more reliable hitters in the game, and he can play both corners and put up a tonne of extra base hits.
