Power Rankings: Mariners Best Trade Fits for Haniger

The Seattle Mariners have continued their quiet off-season (relatively speaking) since they departed the winter meetings. The biggest question remaining is whether or not they will trade OF Mitch Haniger.

The confidence meter in the Mariners moving Mitch Haniger this winter has been as fluid as can be this winter. But thanks to a quickly moving corner outfield market and a plethora of teams in the market for help, the scale is tipped decidedly in the “will trade” category, at least for now.

The MLB Hot Stove is a living organism and things can change quickly and without much notice. But after giving the odds of a Haniger trade a 25%-30% chance last month, the scales appear to be tipping in a positive direction.

But still, the number of teams who could be interested in Haniger is shifting and can be hard to track. So today, we rank the 5 teams most likely to trade for Mitch Haniger. This exercise is based largely on deductive reasoning, so naturally, Haniger will not be traded to any of these locations.

But when we look for a Haniger fit, we are looking at both the need of the acquiring team and what they can give to Seattle for their All-Star outfielder. With all that in mind, let’s get started.

Oddly enough, the Mariners and Rays have not yet made a trade this winter and it is starting to freak us out. Based on past history, it is likely that the Mariners and Rays have talked although perhaps not about Haniger.

Tampa is a fit because Haniger fits a profile that the Rays typically covet: a proven MLB player with an on-base skill who is club controlled and making little to no money. Tampa also has more than enough prospect capital to meet the Mariners’ demands without burning their entire system.

On the surface, Tampa and Seattle seem like a decent fit. But the Rays already have Hunter Renfroe, Kevin Kiermaier, and Austin Meadows. Plus, they recently signed Yoshitomo Tsutsugo and listed him as a 3B/OF, giving them 4 OF bats they’d like to use.

Ultimately, Tampa isn’t eliminated entirely because of the health issues of Kiermaier and the high likelihood that Tsutsugo isn’t a pure OF. However, Haniger will likely become too expensive for them after 2021, when Haniger enters his final season of arbitration. This likely makes Tampa view Haniger as a 2-year play instead of a 3-year player, lowering his value to them.

You can never rule out a trade between Jerry Dipoto and Tampa Bay, but there are just better fits for Seattle and Haniger, which is why Tampa ranks so low on our list.

Next up, we head to the NL Central and take a look at the St. Louis Cardinals. Again, on the surface, Haniger is a good fit in Cardinals blue. The Cardinals are likely to lose Marcell Ozuna to free agency and to say there projected outfield is questionable, may be kind.

Their current projected outfield consists of Tyler O’Neill, Harrison Bader, and Dexter Fowler, with Tommy Edman getting a lot of PAs as a 4th OF. This doesn’t exactly scream “world series caliber” and Haniger is a safe bet to replace what they are going to lose from Ozuna, at worst.

Adding Haniger to this lineup would be a major lift for a team with World Series aspirations, but finding a deal between the two sides is a bit difficult. The Cardinals farm system isn’t great, nor is it particularly deep. It isn’t bad, but it lacks the impactful depth to give up guys like Nolan Gorman or Dylan Carlson.

The Cardinals have some interesting MLB pieces, including O’Neill, Bader, Jose Martinez, Alex Reyes, Dakota Hudson, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Carlos Martinez, and Giovanny Gallegos, but all of these players come with serious issues.

O’Neill and Bader have serious questions regarding their ability to consistently hit MLB pitching. Martinez is a pure DH while Reyes can’t seem to stay healthy. Ponce de Leon and Hudson look like #4 starters at best. Martinez is making some pretty serious coin, has health concerns, and may be a pure reliever as too is Gallegos.

For a deal to be consummated, the two sides will have to be creative and willing to compromise. One thing St. Louis does have going in its favor is a competitive balance A pick, which could tip the scales in their favor.

After the White Sox grossly overpaid for former Rangers RF Nomar Mazara, it forced the White Sox down the list of potential Haniger suitors. But unless Chicago is completely incompetent, they still must know they need more OF help.

Haniger would instantly become the best outfielder in that lineup and his ability to hit anywhere between 2-6 in a lineup and ability to handle all 3 OF spots should be appealing for a team who claims to be trying to make the jump to a contender in 2020.

It is hard to find a single analyst who thinks the White Sox did well in the Mazara trade and they actually inflated the price they’d have to pay for Haniger in the process, but they still have plenty left to get a deal done.

Any package centered around Dylan Cease is probably enough to lure Dipoto to the negotiation table. Reynaldo Lopez still has a big fastball and intriguing stuff. On the farm, even if Luis Roberts, Michael Kopech, Nick Madrigal, and Andrew Vaughn are “untouchable”, Johnathan Stiever and Dane Dunning are compelling.

The White Sox have the ammunition to get a deal done. And whether or not they know it, they still need serious OF help to catch the Twins and Indians. With the assets to get it done and a need to fill a hole, the White Sox still makes a good bit of sense.

Well if you’ve been paying any attention lately, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Arizona continues to line up as the best fit in Haniger trade talks. We know they are interested in Haniger. We know they are ready to compete after signing Madison Bumgarner, and we also know that they don’t have an unlimited barrell of cash to make it happen.

Arizona has a good farm system and the depth to make such a move, as well as several MLB pieces to make things interesting. In addition, the Diamondbacks have a competitive balance A draft pick, which you may see as a running theme in this list.

Arizona is trying to unload Robbie Ray and his projected $10 million salaries, a clear indication that Arizona is financially limited, making Haniger’s $3 million salaries for All-Star potential return all the more appealing.

We have covered this possibility extensively, including an attempt to build trade between the two sides, so the targets for both sides have been discussed. But in short, any of Arizona’s Top 3 OF prospects would be difficult to turn down, while names like Dalton Varsho and Jon Duplantier are more likely targets.

Robbie Ray could be involved as part of a 3-team deal, or as salary relief for Arizona, while Luke Weaver provides some upside and control for Seattle to consider. And again, Arizona has what is basically a tradable first-round pick to float as well.

We have no choice but to wait and see whether or not Mitch Haniger will ever suit up for the Seattle Mariners again. But the market is working exactly has it needed to in order to make a trade possible and the opportunity may never be better.

I’d still place the odds at 50-50, but that is up rather significantly from a month ago. We will continue to track the developments. But we are less than 100 days away from opening day, so things could happen quickly.