4. Mallex Smith
Another potential one-hit-wonder in Seattle? Well, yes. Mallex Smith is a fun player when he is living up to his billing but 2019 was, for the sake of being friendly, shaky for the 27-year-old OF. His struggles in April are well documented at this point and while things did get better from May on, it was still an uneven season for the AL SB leader.
The Mariners aren’t ready to give up on Smith, but with a crowded outfield, they’ll need to make room somehow. Smith is still young, can run the bases really well, and was actually a lot better in CF than you would expect, finishing 8th in Outs Above-Average (OAA).
He can play all 3 OF spots, which helps his trade value, and the team acquiring him would almost certainly be doing it at a discounted price. Again, Dipoto may not want to move Smith, but with the OF loaded with Domingo Santana, Mitch Haniger, Kyle Lewis, Jake Fraley, Braden Bishop, Tim Lopes, and the soon to be big leaguers like Jared Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez, something has to give.
Smith may have the second most value out of that group, making him a prime candidate to get moved this winter. I wouldn’t say it’s likely, as most trades aren’t, but I would call it a higher than usual chance he gets dealt this winter.
Teams in the market for Mallex Smith may include the New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, and the Cleveland Indians.