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.

Mariners – Rockies Trade No. 2

Last week, Jerry Dipoto said he would still like to add a left-handed bat this offseason. As Shannon Drayer’s tweet says, Dipoto would like someone that is versatile on defense.

Kolten Wong was targeted by the Mariners, but he has now signed with the Brewers. So, how about we give the Rockies a call?

To be completely honest, I don’t know if the Rockies are willing to give up Ryan McMahon, but he would fit what the Mariners are looking for.

Ryan McMahon was drafted by the Rockies in the second round of the 2013 draft and was thought to be DJ LeMahieu’s successor. That hasn’t been the case thus far.

McMahon is still only 26-years-old, which makes me hesitate on whether Colorado would give him up. The infielder hasn’t done enough on the field from my perspective, so I have a feeling that Colorado would consider shipping him off to build up the farm system.

McMahon is a left-handed hitter and can play anywhere in the infield. He has spent most of his time at second base and the corners but played three innings at shortstop last year.

He doesn’t have the outfield experience like Dipoto might desire, but McMahon’s infield versatility could come in handy. Besides, Dylan Moore and Shed Long Jr. showed that they can play outfield.

Through four seasons, McMahon has a .237/.318/.423 slash line. Not super amazing right? Out of the four seasons, he only had one great year which was in 2019, where he hit 24 home runs, a .250 average, and .779 OPS.

That’s the kind of performance I am hoping for. Additionally, McMahon is still young and fits into our timeline. When the next wave of prospects arrive, McMahon might be at his peak performance. This trade idea is sort of like the Carter Kieboom trade idea we proposed a while back.

As you might expect, McMahon has a high value on Baseball Trade Values. He is worth 10.9, so the Mariners have to give up a solid package.

In that package, I propose prospects Zach DeLoach, Juan Then, and Sam Carlson who are 12th, 14th and 15th ranked prospects in the Mariners system. Although the Mariners are slightly underpaying in this situation, I think the return is exciting enough for the Rockies to accept.

For Seattle, we don’t have to give up any Top 10 prospects and we are not really counting on the three of them, compared to the likes of J-Rod and Kelenic.

Now, let’s take a look at the final trade idea.