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League, Belt, and A Whirlwind of Rumors
Right around the start of this afternoon’s game, the Twitter sphere exploded with a series of rumors involving Seattle, San Fransisco, Brandon League, and Brandon Belt. The Mariners were on the verge of moving League, possibly by the end of the day. A whirlwind of tweets meticulously pieced together has the Mariners potentially dealing League for Belt, though obviously the finer details are still veiled in secrecy.
The jury is still out on Belt, there are those who desire him and those that don’t. In the case of Seattle the main issue surrounding the argument against Belt is… well, we already have him.
Mike Carp: 536 PA, 107 wRC+, ISO of .173, K% of 27%
Brandon Belt: 481 PA, 99 wRC+,ISO of .161, K% of 23%
So why would the Mariners trade for something that they already have. Well, Belt is two years younger and arguably has a higher upside. But the career track for both players is eerily parallel, and the Mariners may be able to move acquire something of more value. The Angels, Mets, and White Sox are also said to be interested in League, and therefor Kendrys Morales, Dayan Viciedo, Alejandro De Aza, Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis could all provide a potential higher return than Belt. The availability of any of these players is questionable, but if the Mariners are looking to acquire something they don’t already have, they should probably take a look at these players. Personally I would take most of them above Belt, though I honestly don’t know how badly League is desired.
I’m not totally on the wagon with this deal, but I’m not as vehemently against it as some of the people I have talked to. Without knowing how attractive League is to other teams it is nearly impossible to know what potential pieces the Mariners could hope to acquire for the on-again, off-again exceptional reliever. Considering his early season collapse, it’s important not to get greedy, as fans we should be thankful he’s worth anything. If the Mariners working a deal to get Belt one-for-one, then I see no harm in pushing the envelope. See what else is out there Jack, just to be safe.