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Power Ranking Seattle Mariners Top 5 Trade Chips for MLB Trade Deadline

By Colby Patnode

SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 14: Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners scores on a double off the bat of Domingo Santana in the third inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 14, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 14: Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners scores on a double off the bat of Domingo Santana in the third inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 14, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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Mitch Haniger

SEATTLE, WA – JULY 20: Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners tries to outrun Omar Narvaez #38 of the Chicago White Sox but is tagged out in the eighth inning at Safeco Field on July 20, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – JULY 20: Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners tries to outrun Omar Narvaez #38 of the Chicago White Sox but is tagged out in the eighth inning at Safeco Field on July 20, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /

Yeah, you can’t really talk Mariners trades and not bring up Mitch Haniger. There was a lot of speculation this winter that Haniger would be a key piece in the trade market, but Dipoto was clear from the beginning that it would take an enormous offer to pry Haniger out of the Pacific Northwest.

And by all accounts, nobody really came that close. Jason Churchill of Hero Sports stated on his Baseball Things podcast earlier this spring that he understands that the Braves were really the only team to engage on Haniger and that they weren’t willing to part ways with prospects close to MLB.

If true, it backs up everything the Mariners have repeatedly said in regards to their rebuild: we want to compete by 2021. If not, they could trade Haniger for a lot of talent that is 2 or 3 years away. But they wanted talent that was close to the big leagues.

There is no reason to expect that to change and as such, makes it unlikely Haniger will get dealt. But it only takes one team to change the entire landscape. Just ask the Pittsburgh Pirates who sent two potential All-Stars in Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows to Tampa Bay for Chris Archer.

While Haniger is off to a slow start, he has still posted a .841 OPS and a 129 OPS+. He has already been worth 1.4 bWAR, putting him on pace for another 6 win season. The 28-year-old also has 4-years of club control remaining, and will likely make less than $20 million in the next 3 years.

So if the Mariners could get the Chris Archer package, they could very well pull the trigger. But if not, they have little to no reason to move Haniger this season, as his value should remain plenty high over the winter as well.

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