With the All-Star Game now concluded, the July 31^st non-waiver trade deadline looms large on the horizon. The Mariners find themselves holding one of the two wild card playoff spots, and are reportedly scouring the list of possible players that could be acquired to help them in their quest to make the post season for the first time since 2001. While trading for a starting pitcher is a need, the Mariners have been offensively-challenged for most of the season, and obtaining a (right handed) hitter to go with Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager should be the priority.

The outfield is the obvious area of need, and the Mariners have been linked to a handful of players who would serve as immediate upgrades. Marlon Byrd, Alex Rios, Matt Kemp, Josh Willingham, Dayan Viciedo and Ben Zobrist are just a few of the names the Mariners have been rumored to be showing interest in. Each of these players would be welcomed second half additions, and would provide sorely needed pop from the right side.  What the Mariners are willing to give up in return is the unknown question. It’s been reported the Mariners either want a young player who can be a part of the future, or a veteran with an expiring contract. Either way, the Mariners have the blue chip prospects – Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, Nick Franklin and D.J. Peterson – to land virtually any available player on the trade market.

Of course, the biggest name out there is the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton. The 24-year old outfielder has been the most sought-after player the past few seasons. And while the Marlins have thus far been reluctant to move him, most figure it’s just a matter of time before Stanton is traded.

Stanton, obviously, would be an incredible addition for the Mariners. A Cano-Stanton-Seager middle of the order would be one of the best hitting trios in baseball.   But Miami has made it clear that Stanton is staying put this season, and any ideas of a trade is simply wishful thinking. Even if Stanton were available, the bidding war that would surely ensue would almost certainly require the Mariners to part with most of their top prospects, and maybe a young major leaguer or two. And after spending years rebuilding their minor league system, it’s hard to imagine GM Jack Zduriencik depleting his farm for just a single player.

The Marlins, however, do have another outfielder on their roster who isn’t just a fantastic notion, who wouldn’t cost nearly as much as Stanton, and who is the player the Mariners should be targeting above all others. That player is centerfielder Marcell Ozuna.

For the Mariners, centerfield has been an Achilles heel this season. First, it was the failed experiment of rookie Abraham Almonte. After producing a disastrous .198/.248/.292 in his first 27 games, the Mariners demoted Almonte and called up fellow rookie James Jones to take over the centerfield duties. While Jones has been an improvement offensively, slashing a .287/.318/.352, his defensive metrics (so far) grade out to being below average to poor with a -5.8 UZR and a -10 DRS.

A quality defensive centerfielder with offensive upside should have been the first priority for Zduriencik during the offseason. At the time, we here at Mission Mariner believed there was a window of opportunity for the Mariners to try and deal for the Brewers’ Carlos Gomez. With the Brewers now leading their division, any chance of landing Gomez has vanished. But with Ozuna, the Mariners may have another opportunity to solidify centerfield and upgrade the offense with a player who could be as good as, or even better, than Gomez.

Entering 2013, the, then, 22-year old Ozuna was ranked 75th on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list. He was called up near the end of April after Stanton was placed on the disabled list, and in his 70 games thereafter, Ozuna produced a respectable .265/.303/.389, a 90 wRC+, and provided above average defense in centerfield (2.7 UZR, -2 DRS) and right field (6.9 UZR, 4 DRS).

This season, Ozuna was named the starting centerfielder for the Marlins over Jake Marisnick (more on him later) and is currently slashing a .276/.323/.463, has hit 15 homeruns, and is tied for 7^th among all MLB centerfielders with a 117 wRC+. Ozuna has shined on defense as well, ranking 3^rd among all MLB centerfielders with a DRS of 9.

Naturally, one would have to ask why the money-conscious Marlins would want to part with a young, up-and-coming, cost-controlled player who won’t be eligible for free agency until 2020? One look would tell anyone that Miami’s outfield is set for the foreseeable future with Christian Yelich, Ozuna, and Stanton.

Enter, Marisnick.

Marisnick is a five-tool player rated as the top hitting and defensive outfield prospect in the Marlins’ minor league system. Coming into this season, the 23-year old was ranked 79^th on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list, and is the player most within the Marlins organization consider to be the team’s centerfielder of the future. With Marisnick now ready to break into the Marlin’s starting lineup, Ozuna could be expendable especially if it means obtaining top MLB ready prospects in return. The Marlins have been said to be seeking a young, cost controlled pitcher as well as a second baseman of the same stature.  The Mariners have both at their disposal.  

To obtain Ozuna, the Mariners could put together an attractive package centered around top prospects Walker and Franklin, both of whom could contribute immediately for the Marlins. Given the fact the Athletics recently traded the #14 rated MLB prospect plus some secondary pieces to acquire Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, trading the #11 MLB prospect in Walker plus last year’s #79 rated MLB prospect in Franklin should be enough to acquire Ozuna’s services.

However, Ozuna’s age, upside, and success at the MLB level could compel the Marlins to try and leverage the Mariners to part with, say, Walker and Peterson. Is Walker and Peterson too steep a price to pay? Possibly. But with all-star Seager entrenched at 3B, Peterson will ostensibly have to move to 1B, thereby decreasing his overall value to the Mariners. If Seattle were to be reluctant to include Peterson, they could sweeten the deal by throwing in a second tier prospect such as 3B Patrick Kivlehan, or perhaps include another young MLB arm with upside like Erasmo Ramirez or Brandon Maurer to go along with Walker and Franklin.

Giving up such players may seem a bit steep.   But the Mariners would be trading from positions of organizational strength to fill an area of organizational weakness. As the old adage goes, one has to give up talent to acquire talent. And Ozuna, at a very young age, is showing to be the kind of talent that can not only help the Mariners win today, but help them win for many years to come.

And that is a price worth paying for.