The Seattle Mariners are serious about making a Run at qualifying for the playoffs. The team made a trade for the Oakland Athletics' first baseman Yonder Alonso. The Mariners sent Boog Powell in exchange for Alonso. The move is the second move by the Mariners to bolster their squad. The Mariners traded for reliever David Phelps right before the trade deadline. Currently, the Mariners are 0.5 games back in the wild card standings.
Alonso provides power to lineup
Alonso gives the Mariners another strong bat in their lineup. The Mariners already have Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, and Nelson Cruz in their lineup.
Alonso is having a power surge this year. His former career high in home runs was nine when he played with the San Diego Padres. Alonso has 22 home runs this year.
Despite being a rental this year, the Mariners figured it would be a worthy trade. Cano has 19 home runs and 75 runs batted in, while Cruz leads the American League in runs batted in with 84. Seager is not having the greatest season, but he can be dangerous. Having four different power hitters in the Mariners' lineup makes the team much more dangerous.
Athletics wanted something
Alonso was linked to the New York Yankees as a potential partner for Sonny Gray. However, the Athletics only traded Gray to the Yankees. Since Alonso is likely to leave the Athletics, general manager Billy Beane wanted to get something instead of seeing Alonso walk for nothing.
Powell has hit .194 this season with zero home runs and two runs batted in over 23 games at the major league level. However, at Triple-A Tacoma, Powell was hitting .340 in 58 games. Powell gives the Athletics a high reward player at a low price.
Mariners want to make the playoffs
Seattle has not made the playoffs since 2001. The team is in the middle of a 15-year postseason drought.
Fans are getting tired of missing out, which is why Seattle made the deal for Alonso. The team has played well enough to put themselves in a spot to make the second wildcard spot. The Mariners are 14 games behind the Houston Astros, so the wildcard is their best chance to make the playoffs.
Seattle is hoping that Alonso turns it around, though.
Alonso has just two home runs since the All-Star break. His slugging percentage has fell to .377 from .562. The Mariners can also platoon Alonso with Dan Valencia as well. Valencia was hitting .256 and is left-handed. The Mariners begin a 12 game road trip later this month, so the road to the playoffs is going to get harder.
