Seattle Mariners Do Well in Cano, Diaz Trade to New York Mets

In what is likely to be the most talked about Mariners trade of the off-season, the Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano combo trade seemed destined for disaster. Instead, GM Jerry Dipoto did something nobody thought likely. He got a good deal.

The biggest fear when all these Cano and Diaz to the Mets rumors began was that the Mariners were going to leave talent on the table to unload Cano’s massive contract. And to be fair, they probably did.

However, what they did not do, was leave high-end talent on the table. In the reported traded, the Mariners will receive outfielder Jarred Kelenic, right-handed pitcher Justin Dunn, outfielder Jay Bruce, reliever Anthony Swarzak, and reliever Gerson Bautista.

The headliner of the deal is Jarred Kelenic. The 5 tools, 19-year-old was the 6th overall pick of the Mets in the 2018 draft. After an impressive debut in rookie ball, Kelenic figures to start the season in Low-A West Virginia.

Kelenic not only gets high marks for his on the field skills but is described as a baseball junkie who hates to lose. While likely 2 full seasons away from sniffing the big leagues, Kelenic is a potential perennial All-Star, and one that will quickly become a fan favorite and potential face of the franchise type of player.

Dunn is no pushover either. The 2016 first-round pick, Dunn was thought to be the favorite to be selected by the Mariners with the 11th pick before Kyle Lewis fell to them at the spot. Dunn has a big fastball that sits in the mid-90’s and can hit 100 at times. The slider has the potential to be a plus pitch.

Those two prospects are comparable to the ones in the package the Yankees received for Andrew Miller. The Mariners got the two “headline prospects” they needed to move Diaz. What they suffered by tacking on Cano in the deal is the next group of prospects. The lottery tickets with upside.

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Or did they? Remember, the Mariners also get Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak in the deal. Both are coming off terrible seasons in New York, but are both capable of turning things around to their 2017 level.

Neither has an unmovable contract. Both are likely to be traded before their contracts expire. And guess what they’ll get dealt for? Lottery tickets. The same type of prospect, or close to, that the Mariners would have gotten if they moved Diaz separately.

There are still moving parts in this deal. And it may be a while before it becomes official. The latest rumors have Seattle sending around $25 million to the Mets. But regardless of the money, if the reported deal is, in fact, the final deal, Jerry Dipoto should be applauded.

He got the two great prospects he needed and while he didn’t get the lottery ticket prospects he would have without moving Cano, that may be coming later. No, this trade is not an A+ deal. But considering the situation the team is in, Mariners fans should be happy with the return in this deal.