Seattle Mariners: 5 Trade Target from Diamondbacks Rebuild

Zack Godley
Yes, the Mariners need another starting pitcher. Yes, I sound like a broken record. But it doesn’t make the statement any less true. Godley will turn 29-years-old in late April, but still has 4 years of club control remaining. As we all know, Dipoto covets club-control, which could make him the most likely player to find his way to Seattle.
However, club-control doesn’t necessarily mean valuable. In 32 starts in 2018, Godley was pretty good. His 4.74 ERA doesn’t jump off the page, but he did post a solid 3.96 xFIP while striking out more than a batter per inning (9.34 K/9).
On top of that, Godley is an extreme groundball pitcher, posting a career 51.6% GB rate. So how could the Mariners even afford to ask about a guy like this? Well, for starters, he has shown iffy, at best, command. His 4.09 BB/9 are a scary number, and he’s never had pinpoint command to begin with.
In addition, Godley has reached his ceiling already, and it’s just that of a #4 or #5 starter. Combined with his age, Godley’s market may be suppressed enough to allow Dipoto to get in on the conversation.
Godley probably slots into the #5 slot in the rotation but is no guarantee to be better than incumbent Wade LeBlanc. He may, however, be an alternative to Sonny Gray, who we expect to be a trade target of Jerry Dipoto’s.