In today’s roundup: key Seattle players have stopped showing their best baseball, the team is considering acquiring George Springer despite a weak season, and injuries are forcing shuffles in the lineup. The Mariners are a half-game behind the division leader and are looking for ways to strengthen ahead of the deadline.
Mariners stars aren't playing like stars: why the team’s failure can’t be fixed with trades
After several years in which the Seattle Mariners solved their problems on the trade market, this season has turned out differently. The team is still fighting for a playoff spot, but its main difficulties don’t stem from a lack of talent; rather, key players have simply stopped playing their best baseball. President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto and General Manager Justin Hollander will certainly try to bolster the roster by the July 31 deadline, but, as The Seattle Times notes, no trade will make Cal Raleigh start hitting again, Julio Rodríguez become consistent, or Dan Wilson start managing pitchers effectively. The team that traded Luis Castillo two years ago and acquired Randy Arozarena last season is now facing a problem that can’t be solved through trades: its stars have stopped being stars.
At the center of the crisis is Cal Raleigh, the American League MVP from last year. After a season with a 7.2 bWAR (one of the best marks in the league), in 2025 he slid to -0.1 bWAR this season, playing in 54 games. Even after returning from an injury to the right oblique, Raleigh is posting alarming numbers: 8-for-43 (0.186) with one home run, five RBI, and 16 strikeouts in 13 games. bWAR (Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball-Reference) is a metric that shows how many more wins a player brings to a team compared with a replacement-level player from the lower leagues; a negative value means the player is performing worse than the average AAA-level player.
Right beside him, Julio Rodríguez is also stalling, after a bright May followed by a mediocre June: over the last month his line has been .229/.312/.313. An OPS (On-base Plus Slugging—on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) below .700 is considered weak for a player of his level. Josh Naylor, acquired to strengthen the corner positions, had a shaky first half: just eight home runs and 34 RBI with inconsistent defense. Randy Arozarena remains one of the most consistent hitters, but his defense draws criticism—his defensive rating is -5.2 (13th-worst in MLB). Pitcher Bryan Woo, who was the most reliable starter last year, shows a striking contrast between home games (5-0 with a 2.00 ERA) and road games (1-6 with a 6.38 ERA). Even closer Andrés Muñoz, despite five straight scoreless outings, still has an unusually high ERA of 4.91.
This isn’t just a slump by individuals. Manager Dan Wilson, already under pressure for the third season, can’t seem to optimize the work of his pitching staff. With six healthy starters, the Mariners are stuck in a dilemma: move to a six-man rotation (meaning each starter gets fewer innings and the bullpen takes on additional strain); or use a “piggyback” system (where one pitcher follows another in the same game), which disrupts rhythm and can spoil the mood in the clubhouse. The clearest example came on Sunday’s loss to Cleveland (6-5), when the bullpen collapsed. Trading for a single reliever won’t fix Wilson’s systemic issues.
The defensive problem is just as serious: the Mariners are 28th in MLB by defensive rating (-18.2) and last in outs above average (-25)—a metric that shows how many outs beyond expectations a player records in defense. In the infield, things are unstable: 20-year-old shortstop Colt Emerson (10-for-67, .149 over the last 21 games) and 31-year-old Jay P. Crawford, who was moved to third base and whose defense on the new position still leaves a lot to be desired. Injuries are piling up too: Rob Refsnyder, Dominic Canzone, and Luke Raley have all gone down.
Commenting on the situation, General Manager Hollander said: “It’s a challenge every day right now. But 29 other teams also have challenges. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. Our job is to win more games than we’ve won.” However, as the author concludes, bandages don’t cure snake bites. The only way for the Mariners to win an AL West that’s already been weakened for a second straight season is for their stars to start playing like stars again. No trade will do that.
George Springer as an option for the Mariners: controversial, but workable
The 2026 season is shaping up to be complicated for the Seattle Mariners. The team’s offensive problems are obvious: there isn’t enough power, and because of a left-handed tilt in the lineup, they are especially vulnerable against left-handed pitchers. The signing of veteran Rob Refsnyder, who was considered one of the best left-handed matchup specialists in recent years, has failed—35-year-old outfielder is hitting just .133 and has already been sidelined with a knee injury. So an unexpected—and even scandalous—candidate appears on the horizon: Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer, and, according to a source, the idea could work.
First, the part that will be unpleasant for Mariners fans. Springer has long been an enemy of Seattle: first with the Houston Astros, who were involved in the sign-stealing scandal in 2017, and then it was him who sent the Mariners home in last year’s ALCS, driving in the go-ahead home run in Game 7. But the article reminds readers that Springer was one of those who openly regretted what happened: in an interview with NPR, he admitted that he feels sick about the entire sport and about fans. After the scandal, he left Houston at the first opportunity.
From a pure baseball standpoint, Springer looks like a more mature version of what the Mariners had hoped to get from Refsnyder—a right-handed hitter with experience at designated hitter, who can reach base and drive in extra-base hits. He is 36 this season, and his numbers aren’t impressive: in 62 games he has .221/.309/.375 with an OPS of .684 and a negative bWAR of -0.1. He’s had a foot injury. But bright stretches also happen—for example, a recent seven-day stretch in which he hit .393 with an OPS of 1.080, two home runs, and three stolen bases. What matters is that this year, against left-handed pitchers, he is better (.250/.364/.453, OPS .817) than against right-handers, and throughout his career there’s no obvious vulnerability to a particular hand—he’s platoon-neutral.
But Springer’s biggest card is his postseason reputation. He has played in 83 playoff games, reached the World Series three times, became its MVP, and currently shares third place in postseason home runs history (23). Just a year ago, he effectively tormented the Mariners in the ALCS (three home runs, three doubles, OPS 1.053), and then against the Dodgers in the World Series he posted .381/.409/.429. For a team that has never won a championship and is desperate to end its “drought,” that experience is priceless.
Right now, the Blue Jays are five games below .500, but they are still in contention for a wild card. If they decide they’re not ready to fight, Springer’s expiring contract (a so-called “rental”—available only through the end of the season) becomes an attractive asset. The Mariners have already had success in talks with Toronto’s General Manager Ross Atkins: in 2024 they traded Jonathan Cles for Justin Turner and Yimi García, and ahead of the 2023 season they acquired Teoscar Hernández by trade. That suggests Seattle could get Springer without giving up key prospects.
Of course, Springer isn’t the most popular player with fans, and this season has been weak for him. But if the team wants to finally win the World Series, wouldn’t it make sense to sign the guy who stood in your way a year ago and who also has plenty of experience winning in the postseason? There is risk, but the potential upside could justify an otherwise awkward deal.
Mariners make roster changes: Canzone and Raley out; team fights for a playoff spot
Before Tuesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Angels, the Seattle Mariners made lineup changes, calling up right-hander Cole Wilcox from the minors and sending down left-hander Josh Simpson. But the biggest storyline of the evening is the absence from the starting lineup of two left-handed outfielders, Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley, who are still battling injuries. As reported in a note from Seattle Sports, Canzone is dealing with a sore hip, which has kept him out of the action for the last four games—though he still managed to hit his 13th home run of the season in Monday’s win. Raley, meanwhile, has discomfort in his left forearm and hasn’t played since Saturday.
The team also gets a rare off day in the middle of the series on Wednesday, with the reason being the World Cup taking place at nearby Lumen Field. Mariners manager Dan Wilson explained that it gave Canzone and Raley an extra day of rest on Tuesday ahead of finishing the series against the Angels on Thursday. According to Mike Lefko of Seattle Sports, Wilson also said that Canzone will not be available to pinch-hit.
With two key outfielders sidelined, the lineup had to be reshaped. Randy Arozarena is in the lineup as designated hitter, Victor Robles takes his spot in left field, and Weston Wilson will play right. The full Mariners lineup for the game was posted on social media: at first base Luke Uri, at second base Jorge Polanco, at shortstop Jay P. Crawford, at third base Josh Rodgers; behind the plate Cal Raleigh; and in center field Julio Rodríguez. Bryan Woo is named as the starting pitcher.
The 26-year-old Wilcox is returning to the Mariners’ bullpen for the first time since being optioned to the minors on May 4. In 11 appearances for Seattle this season, he has an earned run average (ERA) of 5.40 with 15 strikeouts and 12 walks in 13.1 innings. Wilcox was acquired from Tampa Bay in November, and previously was selected by San Diego in the third round of the 2020 draft out of the University of Georgia, where he played alongside Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock. In 17 appearances in Triple-A, his ERA is 5.03.
Simpson, 28, has already played four games for Seattle, allowing three runs in three innings (ERA 9.00) with three strikeouts. In 20 Triple-A games he has been excellent—ERA 2.08—but so far he hasn’t been able to translate that to the MLB level. He came over from Miami in February.
As of Tuesday’s game, the Mariners have a win-loss record of 43-43, meaning they’re a half-game behind the AL West leader, the Texas Rangers (43-42). Still, they maintain a playoff spot: Seattle is 1.5 games ahead of the Houston Astros (42-45) for the third and final wild-card position in the American League. Given how tight the standings are, every win now is priceless, and the front office is clearly trying to manage rest time for key players in a way that won’t worsen injuries. Ahead of the Mariners is a tough stretch, and the depth of the roster will be tested. The radio broadcast will begin at 5:30 p.m. local time with a pregame show.
