Struggling Seattle Mariners Get Mark Trumbo From Arizona Diamondbacks

It is hard to hide the fact that the Seattle Mariners, who on paper should be a great team, have been struggling during the 2015 season. They have not made the playoffs since 2000, but in 2014 manager Lloyd McClendon got Seattle to their first winning season in five years with an 87-75 record.

And this year with Felix Hernandez on the mound and batters like Robinson Cano, they were expected to actually make the playoffs and possibly contend for the AL West. But let’s be honest, the division is a little out of whack with Oakland sitting in last and the Astros in first with one of the best records in the league.

For some reason, Seattle just cannot hit, with them ranking in the lower tier in a lot of offensive categories. They are 28th in runs (192), 26th in hits (425), 29th in RBIs (178), 29th in batting average (.236) and 28th in OBP (.297), which all contribute to their 24-29 record. They are also ranked fifth in home runs with 62, but that is obviously not making a difference if there run and RBI counts are so low.

Seattle Mariners Get Mark Trumbo

So in an attempt to compete for the division before it is too late, the Seattle Mariners have agreed to a six-player deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, bringing the powerful bat of Mark Trumbo back to the AL West.

”You look at where we were offensively and we’re not doing exactly what I thought we would do, or most people thought we would do. And Trumbo is a guy that brings an awful lot to the table,” Seattle GM  Jack Zduriencik stated. ”He’s a big power hitter that will bat somewhere in the middle of our lineup.”

Trumbo, who previously played for the Angels, has been known for his power and ability to drive in runs. Though his first season with the Diamondbacks did not amount to much offensively — he was hurt for majority of the year and only played in 88 games — Trumbo currently has 23 runs, 45 hits, nine home runs, 23 RBIs and .259 average through 46 games. Besides RBIs, he is on pace to destroy his previous shortened season numbers.

So the Mariners are hoping his batting translates to better offense. On top of Trumbo, Arizona sent pitcher Vidal Nuno to Seattle, while the Diamondbacks received catcher Welington Castillo, reliever Dominic Leone and prospects Gabby Guerrero and Jack Reinheimer.

”I knew it was a possibility, so I guess it’s not something that catches me completely off guard, but it’s a bit of a shock,” Mark Trumbo said about the deal. ”You get comfortable somewhere and you develop a bit of a rapport and you have great teammates and you’re removed from that situation and you know, it’s tough.”