The Mariners Outfield, Now With Cameron Maybin

Earlier this afternoon, the Mariners acquired Cameron Maybin from the Marlins for infield prospect Bryson Brigman and international slot money. This isn’t an especially big trade, but it might end up being an important one for Seattle, who, at this very moment, is just two games ahead of the A’s for the second AL wild card spot.

If we were inclined to be charitable, we might say that center field hasn’t been a strength for the Mariners this season. The nastier sorts among us might describe the play there as having been lousy. The collection of players Seattle has run out rank 20th at the position in team WAR, and the defense has been worse, checking in at 24th. Some of that is the result of the short-lived Dee Gordon, Center Fielder experiment, but the trouble hasn’t stopped there. Guillermo Heredia is a useful fourth outfielder, but he has been exposed since being pressed into more regular service with Gordon’s shift back to the infield. He’s mustered a meager .229/.314/.335 slash line and an 85 wRC+, and even that is buoyed by a hot April and May. He is oddly performing better against righties than lefties but not doing well against either. And in what is admittedly a limited 90-game sample, he hasn’t been the sort of defensive standout whose play in the field compensates for his struggles at the plate.

With the trade, the Mariners outfield shifts some. Maybin, who has been a plus defender before and grades well now, will slot into center, with Mitch Haniger shifting back to right field and some combination of Denard Span and Ben Gamel playing in left.

Maybin may not represent a huge offensive upgrade (his season slash line of .251/.338/.343 and wRC+ of 91 aren’t All-Star level, though July has gone better with a 148 wRC+), but the slightly better bat and more-than-slightly better defense constitute a definite improvement. Haniger can play a capable enough center field, and he may still play there on occasion, but acquiring Maybin allows the Mariners to keep Gordon at second base (Robinson Cano is slated to assume first base duties when he returns from his PED suspension) and give Heredia a breather on the bench or in Tacoma.

For that, the Mariners give up slot money and Brigman, who Eric Longenhagen described thusly:

Acquiring Maybin is something of a marginal trade, but the AL postseason picture seems likely to be decided at the margins. In that respect, it might end up mattering quite a bit.





Meg is the managing editor of FanGraphs and the co-host of Effectively Wild. Prior to joining FanGraphs, her work appeared at Baseball Prospectus, Lookout Landing, and Just A Bit Outside. You can follow her on twitter @megrowler.

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3cardmontymember
5 years ago

Barely an upgrade over Heredia. For the life of me can’t understand why they wouldn’t have beat the Rays’ offer for Pham.

HappyFunBallmember
5 years ago
Reply to  3cardmonty

I’m surprised half a dozen teams didn’t beat the Rays’ offer for Pham. Only thing I can figure is that it really was personal between Pham and the STL front office, and they were determined to send him to baseball purgatory rather than a playoff contender

casey jmember
5 years ago
Reply to  HappyFunBall

Ok, which three Mariners would you have given up?

Tampa has one less win than St. Louis, and much less money.

It’s likelier that not many teams thought Pham was available. and Tampa just knocked them out with an offer. St,Louis also perhaps felt that their guys in the wings were just as good.

The Cards could have shopped him better, perhaps. Then again, the return isnt bad. 3 more controllable options.

slamcactus
5 years ago
Reply to  3cardmonty

Sure, there were larger upgrades, but we have no idea what they might have offered, or whether the Cards really shopped Pham around vs. consummating a trade quickly (that organization’s in a bit of disarray). Not every deal is one where the GM takes the time to check in with 10 other teams to start a bidding war.

It’s a small upgrade, but it’s an upgrade. That ~0.5 WAR difference between Maybin and Heredia over the last 2 months of the year could be the difference between holding off Oakland and not.