Seattle Mariners: Talking about Kolten Wong trade and free agents
Same Song and Dance
CP: I’ll say it. Hernandez and Wong = Winker and Frazier, all over again.
JS: In what way is this equal?
CP: Hernandez and Winker were both billed as power bats. Wong and Frazier were both billed as good defenders, with little pop and good batting average/ on base percentage.
JS: Teoscar is a plus defender with more power. Wong has good power for a second baseman but has excellent gap power and is a plus defender. Frazier was a slightly below-average defender.
ES: Andrew Benintendi? Brandon Nimmo?
AE: If I had to take one of those guys, it’d be Nimmo.
JS: Same. Love Nimmo, and if Michael Conforto is healthy, I wouldn’t mind him on a limited contract. Benintendi could be a good piece in left field and at the top of the lineup. Zero power, though.
ES: He’s a table setter. Same with Nimmo. I also like Conforto.
AE: I don’t trust Benintendi to hit .320 again. If he goes back to .270 with no power, he’s really not very good.
I’d kick the tires on Gallo. He’s good defensively and is one of the guys the shift had a huge impact on. If he can’t hit .230 and his OBP would be well over. 350 with power. Gallo would be a good buy-low candidate.
ES: I saw Gallo in Texas. He’s a very good defensive outfielder. That hole in his swing is gaping.
AE: Oh yeah, he’s gonna strike out 25-30% of the time. But he walks a ton and has that power.
The shift KILLED him. Gallo could bounce back to Texas production without it. That’s a guy who can hit 40 home runs and play excellent defense.
He’s gonna be looking for a fresh start. If the Mariners can get him on discount on a one-year deal, worth taking a shot
ES: Two years for Gallo works too. Then do they use Jarred Kelenic as the fourth outfielder/DH?
HN: Seattle has the short right field, so a good solid left-handed outfielder/DH would be good. I like to have Mitch Haniger back on the Seattle Mariners, but I’m not sure it will happen, and I don’t want him to go to the Angels or Rangers.
AE: If you believe you can keep him healthy, Brandon Drury is an interesting fit too.