Seattle Mariners have a few options at 2020 trade deadline
Just days away from MLB’s hard trade deadline on August 31, the Seattle Mariners have only a few veterans on their roster to move.
Seattle Mariners fans know general manager Jerry Dipoto loves to wheel and deal. However, he was pretty quiet with trades during the offseason. Whether or not he gets more serious other than giving away Taijuan Walker remains to be seen. Here’s a look at some players the M’s could deal before Tuesday’s deadline.
Infielders
Kyle Seager is a hot name on the rumor mill. Currently, he’s hitting .291 and leads the Seattle Mariners with 26 RBI. My fellow contributor Ryan Bishop wrote earlier this week that Seager’s best fit is in Seattle. I, like many other M’s fans, have mixed feelings in trading Kyle. However, if DiPoto gets a great offer for him, then he should make the deal.
There was talk of trading Dee Gordon before the season began. However, his stock has dropped about as far as his .148 batting average. Gordon doesn’t walk very often and doesn’t hit for power as shown by his horrid .374 OPS. Any other team would trade for Gordon because of his veteran presence and ability to play strong defense at several different positions. His speed may add some extra value due to the new rule where teams start extra innings with a runner on second base. His contract has a team option for 2021. The Mariners won’t pick it up, and it’s unlikely another team will either if he’s traded.
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Outfield
Outside of Gordon and Seager, Seattle doesn’t have many veterans to trade. Dylan Moore was having a great season at the plate before he went on the injured list last week. There could be several teams interested in his .282 average, .902 OPS, and ability to play several positions, should he be ready to come back soon. What the Mariners get in return probably would be less than the value of keeping Moore in Seattle. The same goes for Seattle’s other mega-utility player Tim Lopes.
The highest value players in the organization are Kyle Lewis, Jarred Kelenic, and Julio Rodriguez. None of them is going anywhere; the trio should be patrolling the Mariners outfield for the better part of the next decade. If DiPoto were to move one of them for anything other than Mickey Mantle, circa the late-50s, the villagers would surround T-Mobile Park with pitchforks and torches.
Jake Fraley and Braden Bishop are decent prospects who can play Major League defense now. At this point, unless a contender needs a fifth or sixth outfielder, they will likely stay put until the offseason.
The Seattle Mariners do have Mallex Smith to trade. Since DiPoto acquired him from Tampa Bay for Mike Zunino two winters ago, he’s been a disappointment. As much as everyone in Mariners Nation would love to see the team get rid of him, there isn’t much of a market for him. However, if the M’s can get a bag of practice balls and some fungo bats, a deal could happen.
Fun fact: Mallex Smith and Mike Zunino are a combined 10-for-89 on the season. Somehow Seattle and Tampa Bay BOTH lost that trade.
— Michael Rose (@mcrose14) August 18, 2020
Pitching
I am sure there are those Seattle Mariners fans who link they should trade Marco Gonzales. He signed a reasonable four-year, $30M extension starting next season. While Gonzales is Seattle’s ace, he’s more of a number three starter on a better team. DiPoto is better off keeping the former Gonzaga star for the foreseeable future.
It’s a different situation for the bullpen. A team can never have too many quality arms in the postseason. Unfortunately, the Seattle Mariners don’t have much in the cupboard there either. Taylor Williams is the M’s closer. He’s been successful but doesn’t have much experience. Carl Edwards Jr. would have drawn some attention before his season ended on August 10, due to a for arm strain. That leaves Matt Magill, Dan Altavilla, and Yoshihisa Hirano. None of who has impressed this year.
Related Story: Three trades the Mariners can make to transform the franchise
In the end, unless DiPoto gets an offer he can’t turn down for Seager, the trade deadline will quietly pass for the Seattle Mariners in 2020.