Frequent SF Giants trade partner willing to listen to offers on pair of power hitters

It would not be a trade deadline without the SF Giants and Seattle Mariners connecting for a trade. With the deadline less than a day away, Seattle is planning to listen to offers on power-hitting bats Ty France and Teoscar Hernández according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Frequent SF Giants trade partner willing to listen to offers on pair of power hitters

The Mariners are also surveying the market for closer Paul Sewald. They currently have a 54-51 record, which is good enough for fourth place in a tough AL West division. The Wild Card represents a more likely path to playoff contention for Seattle as they are only 4.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the third and final Wild Card spot.

This does not feel like a fire sale from the Mariners' standpoint, but rather a recognition that they face steep odds in making the playoffs. And, repositioning the roster for 2024 might be their best bet.

Of course, Hernández is the more likely player to be traded before the deadline given that he will reach free agency for the first time in his career this winter. The right-handed bat has a track record of success against major league pitching, slashing .258/.315/.486 (117 OPS+) with a 7.1 percent walk rate against a 29.7 percent strikeout rate across eight seasons.

This includes four seasons in which he has reached the 20-homer threshold. The Giants' team leader in home runs is J.D. Davis with 14, so they could use some more power in the lineup. That said, the 30-year-old outfielder has struggled to the tune of a .696 OPS in 441 plate appearances this season.

The Giants would have to weigh whether he would be an upgrade to the roster. It is a tough balance between current production and track record.

Ty France is in a similar position. The 29-year-old has a track record of success as he has posted a .273/.342/.423 line (116 OPS+) with a 6.0 percent walk rate against a 17.8 percent strikeout rate in five seasons.

He is in the midst of a down year as he has struggled to the tune of a .691 OPS in 435 plate appearances. In the field, France would offer more infield coverage for the Giants, but more so in terms of the corner infield spots. He has experience at second base, but he has not graded out well there in his career.

It bears mentioning that someone with France's offensive profile tends to find their way into the lineup more often than not. Plus, the right-handed bat has multiple years of control beyond this one, so it would be the type of player that the Giants should target.

Are the Giants even a fit? Jon Morosi of the MLB Network lists San Francisco as a speculative fit given their need for right-handed hitters. And, it is hard to ignore that the Giants and Mariners have completed at least 100 trades with each other in the past 16 months. Someone might want to double-check my math on that one.