Seattle Mariners: Five trade assets they have to move if they go into a full rebuild
The Seattle Mariners may be going through a total rebuild. Who should they deal if they decide to do so?
The Seattle Mariners have the longest playoff drought in the four major professional sports. They last time they made the playoffs was in 2001, where they lost to the New York Yankees in the ALCS. They have had some chances of making the playoffs but failed to complete it.
Their division is tough. The Houston Astros are one of the elite clubs. The Oakland Athletics made the playoffs last season. The Los Angeles Angels have that Mike Trout guy who’s pretty good.
Because it hasn’t come together for the Seattle Mariners, they are changing course this off-season and General Manager Jerry DiPoto, who just loves to make deals, may have his work cut out for him this off-season with a complete tear down.
Sources: The Mariners are considering a full-fledged teardown this winter. If trade market is strong, they’ve told teams they’re willing to move just about anyone. And if that happens, they have indicated they’re willing to wait a few years to build a competitive team again.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 6, 2018
Sounds now like Mariners intend to hold onto Haniger, Diaz and Gonzalez. Word is: “Everyone else is up for grabs.”
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 6, 2018
The Seattle Mariners have plenty of trade assets. The problem for them is that they have to do it this way, because their farm system just doesn’t have the talent to either augment their current roster or be pieces that could be a part of the solution.
So who are some of those assets? Let’s take a look at who the Seattle Mariners can deal as a part of their rebuild
One pitcher the Seattle Mariners can deal for a big return is the Big Maple, James Paxton. The 30-year old won’t be a free agent until 2021, however, now may be the perfect off-season the club to try and deal him.
Paxton is coming off a season where he pitched a career high in innings with 160.1 and strikeouts with 208.
Whoever loses out on Patrick Corbin, J. A. Happ, Dallas Keuchel or Nathan Eovaldi could pivot some assets into adding Paxton to the top of their rotation. Top of the rotation arms with team control don’t grow on trees and that kind of assets can land you multiple ones to start the rebuilding process.
The question with Paxton is the injury history. Last year’s 160.1 innings was the most he’s ever thrown and has dealt with injuries in the past. Can a team, who would pay a steep price to acquire him via trade, make him their ace?
Teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees or even the San Diego Padres and others would certainly like to add this arm from the Seattle Mariners, into their rotation, whether they view him as the guy or not.
This may be a move they would have to wait until during the 2019 season to do it because of the amount of relievers that are on the free agent market, but Edwin Diaz is the kind of game changing reliever, clubs in the pennant race would trade an arm and a leg for.
If the Seattle Mariners are going to truly rebuild, it does not make sense for them to hang on to Diaz, even if he can’t reach free agency until 2023. You can find other players to close games out, or veterans looking to get their careers back on track.
Diaz had a remarkable year last season, leading the league with 57 saves, had an ERA under 2.00 and struck out 124 batters in 73.1 innings.
The New York Yankees dealt Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman a couple of years ago and got prospects to help them reload and push forward. If the Seattle Mariners put Diaz out on the trade block, they could get that kind of package, or even better because of the team control.
Whoever doesn’t get the free agent reliever they want, could pivot towards Diaz. Even though Heyman said Diaz is off the table, the Seattle Mariners have to listen on offers for him.
They may have just dealt for him last off-season, but the Seattle Mariners will probably look to deal Dee Gordon as a part of the tear down.
Gordon posted his lowest OPS of his career last year and for the second straight season, led the league in caught stealing. He stole over 30 bases for the fifth straight season. Gordon will make $13.3 million next year, $13.8 in 2020 and a $14 million team option with a $1 million buyout in 2021, that vests if he has 600 plate appearances in 2020 or 1,200 combined plate appearances in 2019 and 2020.
The issue with Gordon, besides the contract, is the lack of an OBP, for someone with such great speed. He only walked nine times all season last year.
There are plenty of options at second base and in the outfield in the free agent market. Gordon may be a fallback option for teams that are looking for some speed at the top of their order with the hope that in a better hitting environment, the numbers can come back a little bit. In 2017, he hit over .300 with 200 hits.
They may have just locked him up with a contract extension, but the Seattle Mariners could turn around and deal Jean Segura as a part of their rebuild.
Segura will make $14.8 million per year the next four years and then has a $17 million team option in 2023. Over the past three seasons, he’s hit over .300 with an OPS+ over 110. He made his second career All-Star team last season.
Segura has spent time at second base and shortstop for the Seattle Mariners, so a team looking to acquire him could place him at either spot. If the Philadelphia Phillies lose out on Manny Machado, Segura could be a nice fallback option for them. Maybe the Los Angeles Dodgers could want him at second base, or the San Francisco Giants if they don’t go down a rebuild path with whomever their new GM may be.
All-Star caliber middle infielders aren’t easy to come by, especially ones with cost control for the next couple of years who won’t cripple a contending teams’ payroll. Segura may be a player the Seattle Mariners could move this off-season, maybe even quicker than other pieces and get them multiple pieces for their rebuild back.
Contending teams will need pitchers who can eat some innings at the back of their rotation. Mike Leake is that kind of pitcher and the Seattle Mariners could certainly get something for him, whether it’s this off-season, or even during next season.
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Part of Leake’s contract is paid for by the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s scheduled to make $16 million this year, but $5 million of that is paid by St. Louis. In 2020, he’s scheduled to earn $15 million, with $4 million paid by St. Louis. The soon to be 31 year old right-hander threw over 180 innings for the fifth time in six seasons.
Yes, Leake gives up a ton of hits, but, the Seattle Mariners were one of the worst defensive teams in all of baseball last year with a -23 DRS per Fangraphs. Leake has a career groundball rate of about 50%, so maybe a team with better defense can help his numbers improve.
The Seattle Mariners have other assets as well. Mitch Haniger is one, though the club may look at him as a face of the franchise kind of player and a building block moving forward. Players like Alex Colome and Mike Zunino have multiple years of control through arbitration. There’s also players with bigger contracts like Kyle Seager, Felix Hernandez and Robinson Cano.
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It may be time for the Seattle Mariners to tear it down, and if they do, they have plenty of assets to cash in for the future. Their playoff drought may extend, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t the wise approach.