3 Players Seattle Mariners Should Consider Dealing at the Deadline

Following an offseason full of hype, the Seattle Mariners have been a massive disappointment in 2015, posting a 25-32 record so far.

The problem once again has been offense, despite offseason acquisitions Seth Smith and Nelson Cruz hitting well. Seattle has scored three or fewer runs in 12 straight games, leading to a miserable 2-9 homestand after the team had finally climbed back to .500.

To add some punch, the Mariners acquired Mark Trumbo from the Arizona Diamondbacks last week. Trumbo should be a slight upgrade as a right-handed DH and came at a reasonable enough price, but he isn't enough on his own to fix Seattle's current ailments.

More moves are going to come eventually. The only thing up in the air is if the Mariners will be buyers or sellers at the deadline.

The situation will certainly change by the end of July, and it's way too early to make a decision about the direction of the club, but the Mariners will have some trade chips either way.

J.A Happ, SP

Seattle certainly has the talent to make a run and get back into the AL West race. If that doesn't happen and the Mariners fall out completely, they have a few pieces that could net some value and aren't necessarily part of the long-term future.

Happ would be such a piece that would warrant some trade consideration. The Michael Saunders for Happ trade left some in Seattle scratching their heads this offseason, but Happ has Seattle's second-best pitcher this season and could help some contenders out.

In 11 starts this season, Happ has a 3.31 ERA (3.50 FIP) and has allowed two runs or fewer eight separate times. While Happ isn't blowing people with a 18.1 percent strikeout rate, he's walking just 5.2 percent of batters and is keeping the ball in the park effectively.

Happ is a free agent after this season and doesn't seem likely to re-sign with Seattle. The Mariners would also still have the pieces to fill out a rotation if either Hisashi Iwakuma or James Paxton are back by the deadline.

Austin Jackson, CF

Jackson was a major disappointment after coming over to Seattle at the 2014 trade deadline. Following a stint on the DL with an ankle problem, Jackson is finally starting to play at the level he's capable of.

Since being activated off the DL on May 26, Jackson has raised his season OPS from .610 to .706. Jackson is hitting for good average right now, but he's also showing some power, collecting three doubles, a triple and a home run over the last seven games.

That's good news for the Mariners on two fronts. Jackson could be a huge piece in sparking the offense if some others get hot alongside him. He also could draw significant interest at the deadline, and he's a free agent after this year.

One potential complication is that Seattle may be interested in bringing Jackson back, as there's no clear long-term option in center field. However, given Seattle's financial obligations elsewhere, re-signing Jackson could prove to be difficult.

Chris Taylor, SS

Of course, if the Mariners climb anywhere near playoff position, they will be buyers rather than sellers. Most of Seattle's young talent is contributing in the majors, and it lost a trade chip already with Gabby Guerrero, but there are still some valuable pieces in the farm system.

Seattle tried moving Brad Miller to the outfield earlier this season, while giving Taylor some starts at shortstop. Taylor didn't hit, and Miller is second among AL shortstops in WAR, making the latter seem like the plan at the position for now.

That leaves young shortstops Taylor and Ketel Marte as potential trade chips should the Mariners need to upgrade their roster for the short term. The Mariners would have a difficult decision between the two, but Marte's broken thumb leaves them with little choice at the moment.

The problem is that Taylor's value is low at the moment after his poor showing this season, so Seattle has to hope he performs well over the next month and a half. Still, that was just 65 plate appearances, and Taylor provided 1.5 WAR in 47 games last year, so there could be some interest.

All stats via FanGraphs.com unless otherwise noted.