Seattle Mariners need to deal for the ACE-ing on their cake
Jameson Taillon, Pittsburgh Pirates.
How a deal could work
I talked to my diehard Pirates fan friend Todd Glowacki (if he reads this, he may not be too happy with my assessment that his team is already out of the playoffs, ha) about Taillon, the Pirates plans, and who might be available for trade.
Todd’s opinion was, “I think everyone on the team is on the block. It’s tough to say since he has now had two TJ surgeries. But when healthy, he has been in good form, so I think they would ask for at least a top-end prospect and someone close to contributing.”
Haniger fits the bill of “close to contributing,” and the M’s have plenty of high-end prospects they could move. So, what might a deal look like?
Let’s start with the knowns Haniger and Taillon. A straight-up swap is possible, but both GM’s would likely say, “Why trade a player working back from injury for just another? What’s the incentive?”
The NL Central is fairly open, with no dominant team. Sure, the Cubs have talent, and the Brewers have the former MVP, and the Cardinals are always good, but all of them have huge holes in their teams. The M’s would probably only need to include maybe any of the following:
- Yusei Kikuchi
- Taylor Trammell
- Juan Then
- Cal Raleigh
- Justin Dunn
The latest report on Taillon is that he is on pace to be ready for the start of spring training. So, moving Haniger, who may not have a long future with M’s, because of all the young talented outfielders in the organization, for Taillon (not a free agent until 2023) to be our ace would be a smart move.
Due to Taillon’s recovery, his cost shouldn’t be too high, but his return is that of an ace. Taillon and Gonzales at the top of the rotation would be the Mariners best one-two punch since Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee (even if that was brief). Taillon is the ace the M’s are needing.
What do you think about the Seattle Mariners trading for Jameson Taillon to lead the pitching staff? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.