Seattle Mariners: Trade for Zack Cozart Still Possible?
By Brad Faber
Although a deal to go to the Seattle Mariners didn’t work out last summer, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart may find himself playing in the Emerald City after all.
In 2016, the Seattle Mariners went 86-76 and nearly earned a playoff spot under first-year manager Scott Servais. Next season, the Mariners will be trying to snap a 15-year playoff drought, which is the longest in MLB. They have a strong core to build around, but a few tweaks appear likely.
According to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune, shortstop may be an area that the team looks to address over the offseason. He also mentions Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, a player Seattle tried to acquire last summer, as a potential target.
"“All signs point to a renewal of talks with Cincinnati regarding Zack Cozart, whom the Mariners nearly acquired just prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. If a deal again stalls, the Mariners are likely to expand their search.”"
After undergoing knee surgery and missing most of the 2015 campaign, Cozart had a nice bounce-back season this year. Though not necessarily known for his bat, he hit a respectable .252/.308/.425 (92 OPS+) with a career-high 16 home runs. He played slick defense as well, ranking in the top five for defensive runs saved among National League shortstops. His 2.5 fWAR was also a personal-best.
Cozart is under team control through next season, meaning he might only be a temporary block for Ketel Marte. Dutton describes how Marte is still seen as a “long-term fit” by the Mariners, but “taking a step back” may be the right move for him at this time.
Marte had a strong showing when he first came onto the scene last year, hitting .283/.351/.402 (112 OPS+) with a pair of homers. This season, he regressed to a .259/.287/.323 (68 OPS+) batting line with only one homer. He was worth -0.7 fWAR.
At only 22 years old, Marte still has plenty of time to develop into a terrific big-league shortstop. But for a team that is desperate to win like the Mariners, a short-term upgrade would make sense.
Over the past few years, the Mariners have had quite a few talented middle infielders come through their system such as Nick Franklin, Brad Miller, Chris Taylor and now Marte. Of course, Franklin, Miller and Taylor are now with different teams.
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It would appear that the Mariners have had trouble finding a player to hold down the shortstop position. Perhaps Cozart could be a nice stop-gap solution until Marte is ready to reach his full potential.