10 Under the Radar Trade Targets for Mariners: 10-6

6. Manuel Margot, OF San Diego Padres

Few prospects have been as disappointing over the past 5 years than San Diego Padres centerfielder Manuel Margot. Widely considered a Top 20 prospect just 3 years ago, Margot has since become nothing more than a #4 outfielder. And don’t get me wrong, he’s still a valuable player, but there is no denying he has been a disappointment.

But the Mariners have a proclivity to add former elite prospects and see what happens (hello J.P. Crawford). And despite the depth of the Mariners outfield, Margot is actually a pretty good fit. He is still just 25-years-old, is club-controlled through the 2022 season and has an MLB track record that shows a high-floor.

Margot is also an excellent centerfielder and a good base-runner. The power is what it is but the bat still shows promise. Consider this: Braden Bishop is nearly a full-year older than Margot. That should speak volumes to how insane it would be to give up on a guy like Margot.

But that is much easier said by an outsider and the Padres may be tired of waiting for him to break out. In fact, there are indications of that being the case as San Diego looks to be ready to aggressively hunt outfielders as they look to take the next step out of their rebuild.

You aren’t going to get Margot for free but he won’t cost you an elite prospect either. Perhaps even a Mallex Smith for Margot swap makes sense. But sometimes you have to take a risk in a rebuild and believe you can do something for a player that his current organization cannot. And if Margot ever reaches his ceiling with the Mariners, they’ll have added an All-Star for minimal cost.