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Mariners Rumors: Trading with the Cubs for Kris Bryant
I’m going to start off by saying that, personally, I don’t think that the Mariners would trade for Kris Bryant. He’s a Boras client, and is going to want a boatload of money this summer. You could easily argue he deserves it, but you could just as easily sit on the other side of that fence and argue against it.
It would be much better to just wait until the offseason and sign him them if that was your plan. Trading for him now, where you would still have to give up legitimate pieces, would be awful if he ended up walking after the season. Bryant is an all-star caliber player, a former MVP, has multi-positional flexibility, and is still just 29-years-old.
Kris Bryant would be a high risk/reward add for the Mariners
However, if you could guarantee that he was going to stick around (maybe a wink wink nudge nudge during the trade) then it wouldn’t be an awful idea to go get him. I’m still not a fan, but I can understand the reasoning.
So, I went over to baseballtradevalues.com and used their trade simulator to find deals that came out nearly even in value. It can be a fickle tool, as it’s easy to over/under rate players based on your personal opinion, but they do have a good success rate with their values as compared to trades that occur in real life.
Out of all the ones we’ve put together (Frazier, Berrios/Cruz, etc.), this is the one that is the hardest to wrap my head around. Let’s dive in and see what it would take for the Mariners to get Kris Bryant away from the Chicago Cubs… gulp.
Mariners Trade 1: I’d be fine with Trammell
It seems like poor Taylor Trammell just gets thrown into every trade scenario out there. It’s for a good reason though. Remember, Trammell is just 23 years old still. 23 YEARS OLD. He is way too young for people to be writing him off.
“But wait… you’re trading him. Aren’t you writing him off too?!”
No. That isn’t what I am doing at all. I really like Trammell, and think that he is going to be good down the line. All this talk about “He’s a AAAA guy” is ridiculous. He is so young, that it shouldn’t be a surprise that he has struggled a bit. He loves baseball more than most you will see in the majors as well, which is something that every club loves to see in their clubhouse.
The reason I’m including him is that he is the needed piece, a strong, projectable outfielder that is needed to get someone like Bryant. Obviously, Bryant is better, but he is also set to be a free agent soon. Trammell gives the Cubs a re-tooling piece for the future. He’s under club control through 2026/7, depending on how often he plays in the bigs.
We also throw Adam Macko in the trade, a super-raw lefty with massive upside. If this trade was announced, I wouldn’t be ecstatic, but I would definitely be okay with it happening.
Mariners Trade 2: Moore to make it happen
This is a trade that I could see happening if the Mariners were committed to a France/Long combo at second. Or, if they had something else in the works to bring in a second baseman in a separate trade.
Williamson has been making waves this year, dominating the competition in Everett with an insane strikeout rate (17.1K/9), before struggling a bit in Arkansas. At 23, he only has 60 innings in the minors, and projects to be a mid-tier starter in the majors. 6’6″ and lefty with 95 mph heat and a big curve is what every team wants, and Dipoto could make him sound amazing in a trade.
Dylan Moore could take on a super-utility role for the Cubs, as he is under team control through the 2024 season. He’s struggled with contact a bit but still gets on base often because of a 10.0% walk rate. He’s shown the talent to be a .250/20 HR/20 SB player, he just needs to get more consistent. His ceiling is likely in the realm of Tampa Bay Ben Zobrist.
Carter Bins could provide backup down the line for Wilson Contreras. If the team decided to let him go after 2022, when he becomes a free agent, Bins could even make a play for the team then. It’s more likely he fills the minors as a solid guy for a few years before becoming a backup big leaguer for Chicago. Fielding is his calling card, so he could make for a solid big leaguer when his number is called. Honestly, he could be a Zunino-style player. Swing and miss, power, and fielding.
Mariners Trade 3: Sheffield, Phillips, and Shenton. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this one
Alright, the sole reason I don’t like this would be if we got rid of Austin Shenton. The dude rakes, and it’s one of the better hit tools out there. Think Ty France. Plus, he is from the same county as me, so seeing a guy who played high school ball 20 minutes away on the pro team I root for would be incredible, if he does end up making it.
I said it earlier, but I would only be passably okay with this if we knew that Kris Bryant was going to sign long-term with the Mariners. Otherwise, NO!
They’d get a potential rotation stalwart in Sheffield. Remember, in 2016/17/18, he was ranked 78th, 80th, and 31st in the prospect world. The talent is there, he just needs to get healthy. The Cubs have found plenty of pitchers from other teams and seen them succeed, and Sheffield could be next.
We could send Connor Phillips as well, giving them a righty and lefty to one day use in their rotation. If they know that Bryant is going to leave (remember, he is still mad about the service time manipulation), then sending a couple of pitchers and a sweet bat would definitely get the job done.
What do you think? Should the Mariners even go after Kris Bryant? Personally, I don’t want them to… unless they can convince the Cubbies to give him up for a paltry amount. Let us know your thoughts, and go #Mariners.