Trade 2: Mariners give up some bats for Reynolds
EDIT – Leaving this up so you can make fun of me/realize we make mistakes. Clicked on the wrong name in trade values, so was going off a way lower value. Yeah, Mariners would need to give up two real good prospects or a top prospect to get him. Apologies #Pirates Fans.
This is the route I think the Mariners would go if they tried to trade for Reynolds. You send out a solid replace in Trammell, another young outfielder in Deloach to give them a better chance of finding a major leaguer out of the two outfielders, as well as an infielder that can move around a bit in Rizzo.
With Joe Rizzo, the hope would be that he could provide depth behind Ke’Bryan Hayes, the stud third baseman. He’s been playing first and second as well this season, showing more of a utility role that should only increase his value as a future big-leaguer.
Deloach is 11th in the Mariners system, with solid and well-rounded projections. It sounds odd, but he seems to be above-average at everything without being great at anything. That could easily change as he is still 22, and is showing improvement already. The swing has less holes than it did in college, his speed has improved a bit, and he pairs that with a decent glove and solid arm, and he seems like a solid fit for a corner role by late 2022/early 2023.
Then there is Trammell. He’s been moved around a fair amount, but will show flashes reminding you why he was a highly-rated prospect in recent years. Even though he only hit .160 with Seattle in 2021, he had a good walk rate and definitely has the power to play and the defense to play great outfield. He’s hitting .333 with 14 extra-base hits in just under 100 plate appearances. Giving him time to play in Pittsburgh without too much pressure could be just what he needs.