Mariners look to beef up offense with trade for Mark Trumbo

With an offense that's struggled to get on track this season, the Seattle Mariners have gone outside the organzation to find some help.

According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Mariners acquired outfielder Mark Trumbo from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a six-player trade immediately following their 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees in hopes of finding a bat that can make an instant impact on their offense.

The complete deal will include Trumbo and pitcher Vidal Nuno heading to Seattle. The Diamondbacks will receive catcher Wellington Castillo, whom Seattle had just acquired from the Chicago Cubs, in addition to major-league reliever Justin Leone and minor-league position players Jack Reinheimer and Gabby Guerrero.

Not exactly a notable return, though Arizona finally gets the catching depth they've needed since trading Miguel Montero to the Cubs.

All things considered, it's a pretty bold move for early June for both sides. Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik obviously sees a roster that's built to compete now from a pitching and offensive standpoint, but currently ranks 28th in runs scored.

Trumbo, now 29, has been a disappointment in his year-plus with Arizona after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels. In 134 games entering Wednesday, he'd hit just .243/.295/.446 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs. In three full seasons with the Angels, he averaged .251/.300/.473 with 32 homers and 94 RBI, so that's the upside Seattle seeks.

What should be interesting now is how Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon will construct his lineup. With Nelson Cruz already occupying the designated hitter spot on a regular basis, Trumbo could be in the same position he was in Arizona, which is playing the outfield. A first base split with Logan Morrison is another possibility. Trumbo spent a full season playing first for the Angels in 2011, but he's definitely a liability.

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Given Seattle's offensive woes, perhaps Zduriencik is willing to sacrifice defense for offense, but will the net gain be enough to improve their standing? That's the question.

Another question is will Zduriencik continue looking to add to his offense. With two months to the trade deadline, he'll have a chance to evaluate where they stand and which direction they need to go next. And that could include flipping Trumbo if his addition doesn't help.

As for Arizona, they've played better than expected this season, but aren't likely to seriously contend. With a logjam forming in their outfield now that Yasmany Tomas has his feet under him, it makes sense to move Trumbo. Though one has to wonder if they could have acquired a more impactful prospect or two closer to the deadline.

The two prospects in the deal — Reinheimer and Guerrero — are not rated among baseball's Top 100 and there's very little buzz surrounding them aside from the fact that Guerrero is the nephew of long-time major leaguer Vladimir Guerrero. Great bloodline, but that won't necessarily translate to a breakout.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813