Mariners Alternate Universe: Blow it up in the offseason (Part 2)

As the Mariners continue to hang around .500, in an alternate universe, Jerry Dipoto and staff are preparing to burn the franchise down to the foundation. We all know it won’t happen, but here in make believe world, we can do whatever we like. So we now continue with our rebuild project with part 2.

In our last installation, we moved 3 of the biggest trade chips the Mariners had; Kyle Seager, Nelson Cruz, and James Paxton. If you would like a refresher, click right here. But as we continue to look at some of the tradeable chips left on the Mariners 40 man, there appears to be a few possibilities in the bullpen.

But trading middle relievers in the off-season rarely pays as much as in the middle of the season. Guys like David Phelps, for example, will be much more valuable if/when he shows another 2-3 months of dominate bullpen pitching, like he did in 2017 before his string of elbow injuries.

Edwin Diaz is an interesting case. On the one hand, a dominate closer means nothing to a team trying to rebuild. Diaz, with 4 year of control, has perhaps, the highest value remaining on the trade market.

However; perhaps a trip back to the minor leagues to lengthen Diaz out and becoming a starter makes sense for the rebuilding Mariners. Giving away a 23 year old stud doesn’t make a lot of sense on the surface, and the Mariners could wait until they can maximize his trade value.

But for guys like Marc Rzepczynski and Nick Vincent, their isn’t any reason to stick around a rebuilding franchise. So lets explore what the Mariners can get for these older arms.

Move 1: Marc Rzepczynski to Colorado Rockies for Noel Cuevas

The simple fact of the matter is, it is nearly impossible to get a legit prospect for a LOOGY (lefty one out guy), especially when they are making serious money. At $5.5 million for 2018, the Mariners would likely be asked to eat money in any deal. But Rzepczynski still gets groundballs, something that could really benefit the bullpen in Colorado.

The Rockies are a true “up and coming team”, and they have a ton of depth in the outfield, making a 26 year old outfielder with no MLB experience, well… expendable. Enter Noel Cuevas.

Cuevas almost perfectly fits the mold of a “4A” player. He will turn 26 in September, and is enjoying a true breakout season in 2017. He has a similar profile to Mitch Haniger, though Haniger has more pop and a better hit tool, while Cuevas has the edge in the speed department.

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Cuevas is hitting .312/.353/.487 with 15 homers and 16 stolen bases. He also has 17 doubles and 12 triples, though his home ballpark is a huge advantage to hitters, and his splits show that to be a factor. They also show that he crushes LHP. Cuevas will be Rule 5 eligible this winter, and the Rockies are unlikely to add him to their roster, similar to how Ben Gamel became a Mariner.

Cuevas real value comes as a defender, where he uses his plus speed and good breaks to run down balls in the gap. He has the arm for all 3 outfield spots.