Seattle Mariners: Jerry Dipoto’s 10 best trades with the M’s
Joe Swenson
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#10 Kristopher Negron from Arizona for Cash – August 30, 2018
Dipoto would trade away Kristopher Negron a year later, but not before he impressed the Mariners with his baseball knowledge. When Negron retired after the 2019 season, the M’s hired him as an assistant to the director of player development.
In 2021, Negron managed the Tacoma Rainers. He is now the heir-apparent to the Seattle Mariners managerial throne. This trade could go down as the glue that put together an impressive run for the Mariners. Or it could be nothing, which is why it sits at #10.
#9 Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson, and Dom Thompson-Williams from NYY for James Paxton – November 19, 2018
Oft-injured lefty flame thrower, James Paxton, was traded away for current Mariners Justus Sheffield and Erik Swanson. The latter of the two is an integral part of the Mariners relief corps.
Sheffield is only 26 years old and is at AAA Tacoma when he’s not rehabbing an injury or ineffectiveness. He made five appearances for Seattle this season, giving up only 2 hits in 6.2 innings. Ultimately the Mariners re-signed Paxton to a one-year, $8M contract in 2021 that netted the M’s just over an inning of use.
#8 Matt Brash (as PTBNL) from San Diego for Taylor Williams – August 31, 2020
The deadline was four hours away, and the Seattle Mariners already made one massive trade with San Diego. The Padres wanted more. So Seattle sent their closer Taylor Williams to San Diego in exchange for the infamous Player To Be Named Later (PTBNL).
That player turned out to be a top 100 prospect coming into the 2022 season, Matt Brash. Now working out of the bullpen, Brash features a nearly triple-digit fastball.
Matt Brash of the #Mariners gets his first Career K vs Luis Robert on what I believe is a sweeping curve, not a slider (Grip provided in thread).
86 MPH, 2,938 RPM! 42 inches of vertical break and 19 inches of horizontal movement! #MLB #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/jVf1loJ3hE
— Sebastian Alvarez (@castlehill814) April 12, 2022
#7 Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, and Zac Curtis from Arizona for Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte – November 23, 2016
There are mixed feelings about this trade, but landing Jean Segura ultimately led to the acquisition of JP Crawford (Further down this list).
Mitch Haniger has lost some time with injuries but was the face of the Seattle Mariners. He was a key factor in the M’s late run at a playoff berth last year. Taijuan Walker found his way back to the Mariners after Tommy John surgery and parlayed his success in Seattle into a nice contract with NYM.
Ketel Marte has been the face of the Diamondbacks since 2016. It was a win/win.