Mariners acquire Cubs' 31 home run outfielder in 'realistic' trade idea

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The Seattle Mariners need another right-handed bat in their lineup.

Rob Refsnyder's .422 OPS before he landed on the injured list was not getting the job done.

"Thanks in large part to both Cal Raleigh and Rob Refsnyder looking like shells of their former selves, the Mariners have an MLB-worst .622 OPS against left-handed pitching this season," Bleacher Report's Kery Miller wrote Friday.

If the postseason started today, the Mariners would be the third and final Wild Card team in the AL.

"And with that in mind, there's a plausible nightmare scenario brewing in which they'll be the No. 3 seed, drawing No. 6 seed Detroit in the wild card round and needing to deal with both Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez immediately," Miller added.

To fix their issues against left-handed pitching, Miller proposes they call the Chicago Cubs for help.

Miller's trade idea sends right-hander Luis Castillo to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

"Suzuki has a career .840 OPS against LHP and would become an everyday fixture at RF/DH for the M's," he added.

The Mariners have six starters worthy of a rotation spot, and Castillo may be the most likely to go.

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Suzuki has 15 home runs this season and hit a career-high 32 long balls in 2025. He's more of a DH at this point, but the Mariners could make their defensive alignment work if he can offer more power.

"Notably, Suzuki has a full no-trade clause while Castillo has at least one year left on his contract," Miller added. "But the salary figures—Suzuki making $18M; Castillo making $22.75M—are close enough that the "2026 finances" portion of the considerations shouldn't present much of a hurdle."