Morosi: SF Giants interested in Seattle Mariners power-hitting outfielder

The SF Giants and Seattle Mariners have already completed one trade this week involving AJ Pollock, but the two teams may not be done just yet. According to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, the Giants are among a handful of teams to be involved with Mariners outfielder Teoscar Hernández.

Morosi: SF Giants interested in Seattle Mariners power-hitting outfielder

Morosi believes that a trade prior to Tuesday's deadline involving the power-hitting outfielder is becoming increasingly likely. He lists the Giants along with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Toronto Blue Jays as some of the interested teams.

Monday was a busy day for the Mariners. They opened the day indicating that they would listen to offers for both Hernández and Ty France and finished the night making several trades, including one with the Giants.

The Giants have a need for a right-handed bat and Hernández checks that box. The Giants have posted a respectable .735 OPS against right-handed pitching, but have struggled to the tune of a .672 OPS against left-handed pitching. A good, right-handed bat should help them in that regard.

It is a minor surprise that the Mariners are selling off pieces given that they are in the playoff hunt with a 54-51 record. They are in fourth place in the AL West, but they have an outside shot at the Wild Card as they sit 4.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the third and final Wild Card spot.

Hernández is likely to be traded considering that he is a free agent at the end of the season. In essence, he would be a rental. That said, he will be in demand as one of the more impactful bats on the market.

The 30-year-old has registered a .258/.315/.486 line (117 OPS+) with a 7.1 percent walk rate with a 29.7 percent strikeout rate in parts of eight seasons. He flashes a potent bat as he has reached the 20-homer threshold four times in his career. He is likely to reach that mark for a fifth time in 2023 since he already has 16 home runs on the year.

Nevertheless, the overall production for the right-handed bat has been below expectations as he has posted a .696 OPS in 441 plate appearances this year. Any prospective team will hope that a change of scenery results in better offensive numbers. Given the recent trades between the two teams, the Giants and Mariners will be a pair to watch before the deadline.