Mariners “Trade A Day”- Yangervis Solarte

Yesterday, Mariners twitter was abuzz about the possibility of bringing back one time Seattle shortstop Brad Miller. The need is obvious. Andrew Romine has been a non-factor at best.

At worst, he has been a problem. Either way, an improvement is needed. If the Mariners are hesitant about Brad Miller, perhaps they could turn to a different American League East team?

The Toronto Blue Jays have fallen off a cliff, and are already 16.5 games behind the Red Sox. In early May, they looked like potential buyers in July. Now, 11 games back of the second wild card, the Blue Jays are almost assuredly now sellers.

One of the more intriguing players available in trade talks is Blue Jays utility man Yangervis Solarte. Contractually, Solarte has a manageable salary. He is due about $2 million for 2018, with 2 team options for 2019 and 2020. If exercised, he will earn $5.5 million in ’19 and $8 million in ’20. The buyout is only $800,00 for either year as well.

On the field, Solarte brings extensive experience at second and third base. He also has some experience at SS and 1B. He grades out at around average at 2B, SS, and 3B. Offensively, Solarte is a bit of a mixed bag. He’s a career .266/.326/.423 hitter good for a 106 wRC+.

This season, he has found a bit of a power stroke, bashing 12 homers and slugging .463 along the way. On the bases, Solarte isn’t exactly a liability, but he’s not a good baserunner either.

Obviously, Solarte would be a significant upgrade for the Mariners utility spot. However, the real question is: is he worth the cost? After all, the Mariners hardly use the current utility infielder Andrew Romine.

Solarte has been playing every day, and you will already have to assimilate Robinson Cano back into your lineup in August. In addition, because Solarte has 2 1/2 of club control at extremely reasonable rates, he won’t be cheap.

Finally, we get to the price. Our proposal:

The Seattle Mariners trade Max Povse and Juan Querecuto to Toronto for Yangervis Solarte.

We warned that it wouldn’t be cheap. The gem in this trade for Toronto is Querecuto, the 17-year-old international free agent who signed for $1.2 million last July. A true SS with an average bat now, the hope is that Querecuto could be a mainstay up the middle by 2022.

Next: Trade a Day: Mariners Reunion with Former Outfielder?

The question for the Mariners is simple: How valuable is the utility man to you? Solarte is a nice player. However, considering cost, it seems prudent for the Mariners to look elsewhere.