Seattle Mariners: Negative Nick and Positive Pete on Latest 3-Team Deal

After Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto made a trade from his hospital bed, it is time for us to check in on our Positive Pete and Negative Nick.

PP: Hey Nick, what are you listening to?

NN: Oh hey, Pete. “Black Magic Woman” by Carlos Santana, in honor of our newest Mariner.

PP: Didn’t you hear that we traded Santana today?

NN: That can’t be. We just picked him up.

PP: Yeah, and just shipped him off. Right back to where he played for eight seasons, Cleveland.

NN: Why would Cleveland want him back after not extending him the first stint?

PP: Sometimes teams change their mind on these things. Take our former GM, Jack Zduriencik. Four years after trading away Mike Morse he picks him back up. Maybe Santana wanted to return to where it began and if that’s the case, the decision was mutual with GM Mike Chernoff as well.

NN: Pete, he was only a Mariner for 10 days. I was all excited for Santana just to have my hopes shattered.

PP: How were they shattered? Nick, did you really think Santana would be part of the M’s future?

NN: Yeah, because we acquired him.

PP: As part of a deal where the main goal was to send Jean away. Santana was sent here merely to make the deal satisfactory between both sides. And it was.

NN: Was it? We also got some young shortstop I’ve never heard of.

PP: You’ve never heard of JP Crawford right now. But he’s younger than Santana, which means he’s part of the future.

NN: Still waiting to hear the rest of the deal.

PP: Let’s start with the least to most important parts. The first thing we acquired was $5M from the Rays but we sent $6M of our own dough to Cleveland.

NN: Yippee yay-yo! That equals out to $1M and in the MLB glossary, that’s not a lot.

PP: Well just wait. Continuing this plan of going younger, we also snagged a competitive balance draft pick from Cleveland.

NN: What does that mean, competitive balance? You know there’s no such thing in the MLB, right? Look at how much money the Yankees have. Derek Jeter could have acquired the whole Marlins team as a player due to the payroll difference.

PP: To help the lower-payroll clubs, that’s why it exists. As subsidy for a team. The Indians qualify as one of the 10th lowest in team revenue or in the market. So there you have it, we snatched that from them for the 2019 draft.

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NN: So what? It’s one player, why are you all excited?

PP: You never know, Nick. That one player may shine for us some day. The highest draft pick doesn’t always equal panning out in the MLB. Shall we contact Dustin Ackley?

NN: Ha! Well, you’ve given all this build-up, who’s the meat of the trade?

PP: Technically Carlos Santana. But for us, it’s newest Mariners DH Edwin Encarnacion. So get your squawk on, Nick! Every time he hits a home run he perches an invisible parrot on his shoulder.

NN: I know, Pete. I’ve watched baseball in recent years. He’s the newest Mariners? Who you’ve essentially given a drumroll for? Why did Cleveland trade him when he had a year left on his contract?

PP: He hit his share of homers for them but never for a high average. Plus they’re approaching a mini-rebuild themselves.

NN: If they trade Kluber this offseason, they definitely are. How is Edwin supposed to help us if we’re in a rebuild?

PP: Funny you mention that. There were rumors today of us trading him to to the Rays after getting him. But a few Tampa sources said to hold our horses. He may still soon be traded but for now, get your squawk on.

NN: Gee Pete, just design a t-shirt with that slogan since you’re so excited. You know that even if he stays a Mariners into 2019, he’ll be traded to a contender mid-summer.

PP: You’re probably right. But let’s take stock in who we have right now. His home runs are fun to watch.

NN: Assuming he takes over DH, he sure is no Nelson Cruz.

PP: No he’s not. But after being a Cleveland bust, he could use his Mariner stint as a time to get his stroke back like in Toronto. Sometimes players need that. You’re right in that he likely won’t linger long since rebuilders rarely contend mid-season.

NN: Say what you want but at the end of the day we acquired one aging, low-average slugger for another.

PP: Whatever, Nick. I will at least try to enjoy Edwin’s brief tenure.