3 Rockies players that would suit the Mariners

The Rockies had one of the worst-ranked farm systems last September and they haven’t been able to compete with Arenado, Story, and Blackmon. Colorado just traded Arenado and his large contract to the Cardinals so it seems like they are starting to tear things down. Could the Mariners be a potential landing spot for some of their expendable players?

Yes, I think so. I don’t think the Mariners are at the top of the list, just because we are not immediate contenders, but there are some players that might interest Jerry Dipoto.

Mariners – Rockies Trade No. 1

As you might already know, Jerry Dipoto said improving the bullpen was a point of emphasis this offseason. He has made multiple acquisitions to bolster the pen, but he might not be done yet.

I think Daniel Bard could be an interesting addition for Seattle. The 2020 NL Comeback Player of the Year has quite the story and seems to have a lot left in the tank.

Bard showed lots of promise when he began his MLB career with the Red Sox and then suddenly lost his feel for pitching. He made an impossible comeback from retirement and appeared in 23 games last year.

It might surprise you that I even mention Daniel Bard in this article because he is 35-years-old. But, he really impressed me in 2020.

I don’t know the history of big leaguers taking breaks, coming back, and how that affects their career length, but I would think Bard has an advantage because he took such a long break.

We all know that pitchers can run into wear and tear issues, but Bard took nearly seven years off so his arm is fresher than most 35-year-olds.

Bard’s fastball was 97.1 mph on average last season. In 2013, his fastball was 94.1mph on average. To me, that is a great indication that Bard can repeat his solid 2020 season, or he has better days to come.

Daniel Bard shouldn’t be too costly for Seattle to acquire. It would probably be similar to the Rafael Montero trade. Here’s one idea:

According to Baseball Trade Values, this is a perfectly weighted trade. Daniel Bard has a value of 1.6, while Sam Carlson is valued at 0.7, and Luis Liberato is valued at 0.9.

For the Mariners, we only lose Carlson, the 15th ranked prospect in our system, and Liberato, who hasn’t quite panned out the way scouts had hoped.

Not only do I have faith in Bard’s ability, I think he would be a great veteran presence in the young Mariners clubhouse. I think this would be a win for both sides. Seattle gets some more bullpen support, and the Rockies get two prospects for their expendable reliever.

Now, let’s take a look at the second player on my list and what the trade would look like.