Mariners: Trades they could make to upgrade the Pitching Staff

Trade Values: Mariners receive 63.8 – Diamondbacks receive 48.1

This would be a massive move for the Mariners. It would be odd to send Haniger back to the Diamondbacks since that is who they originally acquired him from back in the Haniger/Segura for Walker/Marte deal. We’ve seen much weirder things though.

Brandon Willaimson is a stud who has been moving up the Mariners farm system this season, and actually through an immaculate inning in his first AA start. We would have to give up a solid prospect, along with talent, to get someone like Gallen.

You might be wondering why we would need to give up so much. There are two answers. One, Gallen is just 25, and already has thrown in three seasons while compiling an ERA of 2.97 in 191 innings. Two, he is under team control through 2025 still. If he is a top of the rotation starter, which most indicators show, he is an incredible asset and player to have.

Would Arizona do it? We might have to include a younger player than Haniger, as he wouldn’t provide much in the way of future value, at least to a team that went 2-31 over a stretch this season. Haniger is younger than his age because of the time he has missed from his odd injuries and could be a veteran leader from them, so it’s still plausible.

He’s seemed fairly consistent throughout his time in the majors, with a good K rate of 10.5, and a FIP around 3.6. Putting Gallen with the rest of the Mariners youth at pitching could make for an incredible core that would be around for years to come. Gilbert, Hancock, Kirby, Gallen? Sign me up.

Trade Values: Mariners receive 6.9 – Rangers receive 5.8

This is a smaller deal and would be something you could see if the Mariners think that they have an outside shot to make it to the playoffs this season. They wouldn’t be giving up a ton of established talent and would be getting a strong starter in return.

The hardest part here would be the fact that you are trading within the division. I don’t see it holding a potential deal up too much, as it wouldn’t be keeping Texas out of the playoffs, and would help them to build further during their current rebuilding phase.

Kyle Gibson has been having a great year so far, easily surpassing his previous career-best. He leads the American League with a 2.00 ERA and is an obvious sell candidate for the Rangers. You see this every season, as the teams that are out of the playoff picture will sell high on their potential over-performers, getting something in return when they would otherwise just let them walk at the end of their contract.

Gibson is signed through 2022, so the Mariners could keep him around until then as the veteran pitcher they were hoping to have in Paxton. With his injury and the lengthy rehab time associated with it, Gibson would provide a solid arm that can eat innings. He has averaged just under 6 per start, and that number has actually increased a bit over the last few years.

Trade Values: Mariners receive -3.9 – Royals receive 4.1

I’m sorry, but it just isn’t realistic that Danny Duffy would be negative during a trade. Part of this is the fact that he needs an update in his trade value, especially when you look at how well he has been doing this season.

Prior to his injury, he was dominant this season. Through seven starts, he was sporting a 1.94 ERA, with a career-best strikeout rate, sitting down 48 hitters in 41.1 innings. He would be the easiest guy to acquire in this list, especially if the Royals don’t think that they are going to be able to re-sign him. He becomes a free agent after this season, and it would behoove the Royals to try and get something for him before he is gone.

Polcovich has been having a great season so far, but the Royals could try and take him and mold him into a future replacement for Whit Merrifield. He doesn’t have the same speed, but his utility ability and strong hitting tools could easily be placed into an everyday role. We all know that the Royals are crafty, so a player like Polcovich could be a steal.

Duffy would be a great fill-in lefty for the Mariners. They might be able to get him even cheaper than this if there is a league-wide worry about him coming back from his injury. He has looked fine in two appearances since coming back, so that concern shrinks by the day.

Trade Values: Doesn’t matter on this one

First. Throw out the trade values on this one. Scherzer is a multi Cy Young winner, and that holds more value than anything else. Especially when he is still dominant.

What would be a good way to get one of the big-name free agent hitters to come here this offseason? Showing them that the team has a good combination of future talent (Kelenic, J-Rod, the pitching trio, Marte, Raleigh, etc) paired with a stud that can lead the team on the mound.

Enter Scherzer. He wants a new deal, and it isn’t certain that he is going to sign it with the Nationals. He likely wants a chance at a Ship, so that might make it hard to get him to agree to a trade to come to Seattle.

What if… what if Dipoto told him the supposed plan for the offseason though? Come to Seattle, we will sign you to a 5-120 (or some deal that will hold him for a while). It will be frontloaded since we have cap room. Having you on board will be a massive chip in getting one of those stud shortstops to come here to play, even if we move them to third or second with the emergence of JP Crawford this season.

That doesn’t seem that far out of the realm of possibility, does it?

In return, we give the Nationals a great hitter in Haniger and two solid prospects. Haniger helps the Nationals offense, and all of a sudden our pitching staff looks quite formidable.

What do you think? Should the Mariners go after any of these pitchers? Are there others out there that you think they should go for? Let us know. #SeaUsRise.