Seattle Mariners: 4 Under-the-Radar Offseason Trade Targets

Since becoming the Mariners’ general manager in late 2015, no one has made more trades than Jerry Dipoto. In fact, it hasn’t even been close. That won’t change this offseason, as the busiest GM in baseball will surely be very active on the phones once again.

Last month, we took a look at five “under-the-radar” free agents Seattle could target over the next few weeks. With the GM Meetings starting this Monday, teams will begin conceiving trade ideas and put some of the offseason’s biggest deals into motion. Some trades may be agreed upon and finalized before the meetings wrap up, and the Mariners could very well be involved in one or two of those.

Dipoto’s regime have pulled off some of their best deals in the month of November, acquiring the likes of Leonys Martín, Mitch Haniger, and Jean Segura rather early on in their respective offseason periods. Perhaps one of Seattle’s most critical moves of the 2018-19 offseason will be coming in the next few days.

The problem, however, is how big of a splash the M’s could actually afford to make. Even with Nelson Cruz, Nick Vincent, and Erasmo Ramírez off the books, Dipoto and co. are expected to work under a relatively restrictive payroll limit. Of course, their farm system isn’t the most attractive to potential trade partners either, limiting compensation options even further. They can get creative in the free agent market with how they distribute dollars over the course of a contract, but assuming a hefty contract through trade might not be as attractive to them as it has been in the past.

What this boils down to is that Dipoto, one of baseball’s most creative general managers, will need to be even more unique in his approach than he’s ever been. Bounce-back candidates may be a theme throughout this list. You’ve been warned.

These are four under-the-radar players Seattle could pursue in the trade market this offseason.

C FRANCISCO CERVELLI

There hasn’t been a whole lot of talk about it, but there’s a real chance Mike Zunino could be moved this offseason. I proposed the idea that he could be packaged in a deal for someone along the lines of Kevin Kiermaier, subtracting from one position to supplement another. Why? Because the catching market is rich with strong, veteran talent this offseason.

In the event Zunino is dealt, the Mariners will likely aim for the free agency market to start. However, if they find themselves on the outside of a pursuit for a Robinson Chirinos or Jonathan Lucroy, they could turn their attention to a catcher making a nice chunk of change on a team that doesn’t like spending a whole lot: Francisco Cervelli of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates have consistently hovered around being a bottom-five team in terms of payroll over the years. Cervelli is due $11.5 million this season, which is tops amongst current Pirates players. Despite how good Cervelli has been since 2015, the Pirates have a younger, cheaper option in Elías Díaz who produced at a similar level to his counterpart last season.

Pittsburgh doesn’t need Francisco Cervelli moving forward, and they’re likely not too thrilled about the prospect of paying a 32-year-old catcher nearly $12 million to play just 100 games. If the Mariners were to strike a deal for Cervelli, look for the compensation to run a notch above what the Rays received from the Phillies in their Wilson Ramos deal from the deadline.

Ramos produced at a better clip than Cervelli last year, but he was injured at the time of the deal and was no more than a two-month rental. Cervelli is a full-year rental, but the price tag and age should drive his price down a bit.

INF JEDD GYORKO

It’s our third NL Central player in a row! This one is a bit interesting considering that Jedd Gyorko is neither a bounce-back candidate, nor is he even expendable to the Cardinals… yet. It feels like only a matter of time before Josh Donaldson calls St. Louis home, which would leave Gyorko on the outside-looking-in to a crowded infield. Pair that with the emergence of Patrick Wisdom, paying $13 million for a fifth or sixth infielder isn’t ideal even for a team with the payroll flexibility St. Louis has put on display.

One of Seattle’s biggest issues in 2018 was a lack of offensive depth, offering little-to-no options to pick up the slack from Kyle Seager and Dee Gordon‘s ineptitude at the plate. Gyorko wouldn’t be a bench piece on the Mariners, however, but he would allow the likes of Ryon Healy to serve in a more supplementary role.

In my mind, to achieve the most viable lineup on a consistent basis would be to find a second baseman better suited to hit than Gordon, and move Robinson Canó to first base full-time. Gyorko also offers the flexibility to give Seager and Jean Segura a blow every now and then. This would also allow the Mariners to move Gordon back to center field, or attempt to shave off some of his salary from their payroll in a trade.

What ultimately makes a Gyorko acquisition unlikely, however, is that $13 million salary and how his availability hinges upon hypotheticals. In the event that the Cardinals do sign Donaldson this offseason, there’s still no guarantee that Gyorko suddenly finds himself on the block. St. Louis might not be entirely stoked about what they would have to pay Gyorko in such a limited role, but they may decide to just bite the bullet if they can’t find the right deal for him.

So, in essence, Gyorko’s inclusion on this list is more about the idea of targeting second basemen than about Gyorko himself. To justify acquiring Gyorko and his relatively large salary for a player of his capabilities, the M’s would likely have to find some sort of miracle deal that eliminates most of Dee Gordon’s salary from their books. That’s probably not going to happen.

Still, he’s someone that should be available at some point this offseason and he fits the profile that Jerry Dipoto is often attracted to. At the very least, it’s something to stick in the back of your mind.

RHP DANNY SALAZAR

It appears that the Cleveland Indians might be on the verge of a fire sale. With payroll starting to become a concern for Cleveland’s front office, some of their veteran stars may potentially wind up elsewhere when the 2019 season commences. This includes a potential tear down of one of the most dominant starting rotations in all of baseball, with names such as Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco being mentioned in these rumors.

The dangerous fivesome of Kluber, Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger, and Shane Bieber made plenty of headlines this season, leaving a once-dominant piece in the growth of this rotation to ultimately be overlooked. That would be Danny Salazar, the 28-year-old All-Star that, at times, appeared to be Cleveland’s best pitcher. Salazar’s ongoing shoulder issues held him out for the entire 2018 season, and the successes of Clevinger and Bieber have put the harsh realities of professional sports right in his face.

As I said, Salazar appeared to be Cleveland’s best pitcher at times. Now, he doesn’t have a spot in their rotation, making him the likeliest of their six starters to be dealt this offseason. Shoulder injuries are scary stuff, though, and some teams may be too hesitant to dive too deep into negotiations, considering that the Indians will want something decent in return.

This shouldn’t be a problem for the Mariners, who usually welcome these kinds of deals with open arms. Per MLBTradeRumors, the arbitration-eligible Salazar may not receive a raise from his current $5 million salary. His injury also decreases his value to the point where the Mariners could realistically afford him in terms of prospect compensation, whereas they wouldn’t have even been able to move past inquiry in previous years.

When healthy, Salazar would have the potential to slot right behind James Paxton for a dynamic one-two punch atop Seattle’s rotation. It’s one of the very few massive upgrades the Mariners could realistically make at a position most fans have anxiety about.