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Mariners Rumors: Trading with Diamondbacks for Merrill Kelly

By Christopher O'Day |
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 11: Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 11: Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 11: Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 11: Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

If the Mariners end up doing anything at all during the deadline, chances are they are going to go after a starting pitcher. It doesn’t sound like they are going to harm their long-term plans with their current prospect crop, instead choosing to do something in the short term. Dipoto actually talked about it, according to Corey Brock.

“But we’re not going to push the opportunity because we believe this is a window that is open and we want to make sure it stays open. We don’t want to shortchange our long term.”

It’s nice hearing something like that coming out of the front office, and it’s truly what I hope happens for the Mariners. They don’t need to go after anyone major, only to risk not only losing the prospect/s that they sent out but the player that they traded for if they end up leaving.

Previously, I talked about how the Mariners could look at one of Kelly’s teammates, Zac Gallen. He’s likely going to fall into the same class as Jose Berrios though, and be difficult to trade for.

Kelly is under control through 2024, which is the completion of his age 35 season. Trading for someone like him could be a way to get a cheap-ish option at starting pitcher, a solid vet, and also someone who wouldn’t break the bank.

Arizona could be a great team to give a call to. They went through one of the worst stretches of baseball in recent history, going from 17-19 to 22-60 (that’s 5-41, woof). We all know that they will likely be looking to get more youth into their system, so calling them up about the 32-year-old Kelly would be a great idea by Dipoto. Here’s what some trades could look like.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 08: Taylor Trammell #20 of the Seattle Mariners bats against the Minnesota Twins. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 08: Taylor Trammell #20 of the Seattle Mariners bats against the Minnesota Twins. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Trade 1: Mariners trade Taylor Trammell

I know. I know. I put him in every trade. But, it’s always done with a good reason. Trammell is a great young piece, and I actually would want him on the Mariners. Give me any Mariners season over the last 30 years, and chances are you are going to want to keep him around. Well, any season before 2022 going forward.

It’s nice to have a plethora of outfielders, especially when they are young and have yet to spend a large amount of time in the majors. With Haniger still under contract, Fraley showing out and earning a larger role, plus Kelenic and Rodriguez waiting in the wings, there just isn’t space for Trammell.

Yes, we could keep him around, assuming that someone isn’t going to work out, and hoping that he could work out himself and take one of the spots. Or, we could send him out as an asset to bring in a solid veteran pitcher to provide much-needed depth to the Mariners injured pitching staff.

Arizona would get a young piece in the outfield, one that they could rely on upon through their re-building years. The Mariners would get a veteran righty, which is something they sorely need.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 11: Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 11: Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

Trade 2: Mariners send out some hitters for Merrill Kelly

Taylor Trammell would likely end up in the majors this season, again, if he was traded to the Diamondbacks. There would be no pressure, and it could make for a relaxed environment to see how he would do. If that’s not the route that these two teams would want to go, they could look at getting a pair of future prospects from the Mariners instead.

Perez currently sits at third, but he has a plus-plus arm. Given that part of his skill set, you could see him moving to a corner outfield location down the line, whether it’s because of need or the worry of his bat not being enough for a third baseman. He’s still young, turning 20 this October. He’s shown good bat speed and line-drive ability so far in his young and short pro career, giving him fairly high upside, which is why he sits 14th on the Mariners prospect list.

Deloach is a bit higher, sitting 11th. Drafted in 2020 with the Mariners second-round pick, you can see the great bat talent that was displayed at two different stops. He led the Cape Cod league in batting average back in 2019, and then hit .421 in college in 2020. He’s still a bit of an unknown on whether he can stick in center field, but getting an outfielder that can play any spot and still hit is always someone worth having on your roster.

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – JUNE 30: Justus Sheffield #33 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field on June 30, 2021 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NEW YORK – JUNE 30: Justus Sheffield #33 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field on June 30, 2021 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images) /

Trade 3: Mariners send out pitching for Merrill Kelly

Of all three trades, this is the one that I could most likely see happening. That is if Justus Sheffield is cleared and healthy by the trade deadline. Or, if Arizona passes him through his physical and is accepting of what they find.

With Rinehart, you are getting a great bullpen arm. He doesn’t throw heat or have a wipeout pitch either. Instead, you are getting a righty with great control. He still gets up to 95 or so, but has three secondary pitches he can throw. I think of him as an old-school reliever brought into the modern-day.

His change-up might be his best pitch, as that and the fastball both grade as plus pitches. He mixes in a slider and curve to keep hitters off balance. The control is what stands out, as he can locate the change-up very well.

If Sheffield gets healthy, it could be a great pickup for Arizona. In fact, we could look back in a couple of years and see that the Mariners lost this trade. That’s the rub though, and what makes trades like this happen. Sheffield could easily end up being either the best piece in the trade or the worst.

Pitching really does seem like what the Mariners are going to go for at the deadline. They could use another starter, and Arizona seems to be one of the teams that fits the description of having a cheap, low-risk veteran, while also looking to sell. If the Mariners need another arm, Merrill Kelly could definitely be in the cards at the deadline.

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