Seattle Mariners Mock Trades for Giants prospect Joey Bart

It seems like just yesterday that the Seattle Mariners defeated the San Francisco Giants to open the 2021 season in a rollercoaster series. And who would’ve thought that team on April 1st would be leading the NL West in late July? Certainly not me.

The Giants are feeling good and they are looking to upgrade their roster this trade deadline. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the San Francisco Giants are seeking pitching and hitting upgrades, and catching prospect Joey Bart will most likely be available in trade talks. Could the Seattle Mariners make a deal to acquire the top prospect?

Who is Joey Bart? And why should the Seattle Mariners want him?

First things first, these situations assume that the Mariners become sellers at the deadline. So, if the Seattle Mariners put themselves in a good spot after this homestand, these examples may have no relevance. But at the same time, Joey Bart does sound very nice.

The 24-year-old catching prospect is the 17th ranked MLB prospect and was the second overall pick in the 2018 draft. Here is Bart’s scouting report from MLB.com:

• Hit 50
• Power 60
• Run 40
• Arm 60
• Field 55
• Overall 55

On MLB’s Top 100 list, Bart is 17th. On FanGraphs, he is the 65th ranked MLB prospect. So, there is a little inconsistency on how he is ranked but a lot of that has to do with how he performed in the big leagues in 2020.

With Buster Posey opting out of the 2020 season, the Giants had to call upon Joey Bart and he played in 33 games. He struggled offensively but that was somewhat expected because he played just 22 games in Double-A in 2019.

In 2021, he has been great in Triple-A Sacramento. He’s hitting .321, slugging .553, and has hit nine home runs in 41 games. So, let’s take a look at some mock trades.

And yes, I didn’t forget about Cal Raleigh. But to me, Joey Bart has a higher ceiling than the switch-hitting prospect. Raleigh is ranked 92nd on FanGraphs and is not in the MLB Top 100.

In terms of scouting grades, Raleigh is 50 overall. The only difference between their scouting report is the hitting, arm, and speed. Raleigh has a 45 arm, a 45 hit, and a 35 run. So, why not get both if we can?

Seattle Mariners Mock Trade #1 for Joey Bart

To be honest, I had a tough time deciding whether I should add another Giants prospect like Will Wilson to the package. I am sort of high on Joey Bart, but there are also some people that are becoming skeptical of him. If you take the skeptical perspective, you might think the return is too little.

But if you think Joey Bart is the next big catcher behind Adley Rutschman, then this could be great. But at the same time, the Giants would get the All-Star snubbed Mitch Haniger for two more seasons and an out-of-nowhere solid reliever in Drew Steckenrider. To say the least, I had a tough time deciding.

For what the San Francisco Giants are looking for, it does seem like the perfect package. They get a top-of-the-lineup bat that can play solid right or left field, and then a bullpen piece to bolster its 16th ranked bullpen.

From an MLB.com perspective, he is the 2nd ranked prospect in the Giants organization and 17th overall equal to Haniger and Steckenrider? Mmm, probably.

But if we look at FanGraphs, Bart is 3rd in the organization and 65th overall. Hmm, maybe the Seattle Mariners deserve another prospect? I am pretty high on Joey Bart so I like what I have above, but I could also agree with the argument to receive another prospect like Will Wilson (12th in Giants farm).

Seattle Mariners Mock Trade #2 for Joey Bart

Okay, this one is pretty bold but I think it’s reasonable. There is probably very little chance that Jerry Dipoto is taking calls for Chris Flexen but if we could swap for a top-catching prospect and a couple of Top 15 Giants prospects it might be worth it.

Chris Flexen has been an absolute stud for the Seattle Mariners and is a rather shocking fashion. I don’t think anyone expected him to pitch this well maybe except for the Mariners scouting department. So, should the Mariners take advantage of his very high trade value or bet on him to repeat next season?

I don’t know about you, but I am not betting my money on Flexen to post a 3.35 ERA next season. Why? His advanced metrics. While some may argue that advanced metrics don’t always define success, I think they can most times.

Flexen doesn’t rank very high in terms of exit velocity, xBA, whiff rate, or xSLG, which is concerning to me. Not to take away from Marco Gonzales’ excellent 2020, but his advanced numbers from last year look similar to what Flexen is posting right now. I am not saying Flexen will be blown up next season, but it’s a possibility in my opinion.

So, back to the main topic, I think it makes sense to package Chris Flexen with Mitch Haniger in exchange for three prospects. You already learned about Joey Bart earlier, but I suggest also adding in Will Wilson and Alexander Canario.

Will Wilson, 2B/SS, 23

• 11th ranked SFG prospect FanGraphs
• 12th ranked SFG prospect MLB.com
• 2019 15th overall pick
• 50 Hit
• 50 Power
• 45 Run
• 50 Arm
• 50 Field
• 50 Overall

Alexander Canario, OF, 21

• 13th ranked SFG prospect FanGraphs
• 9th ranked SFG prospect MLB.com
• Int’l signing 2016
• MVP at Rookie Level Dominican Summer League All-Star Game
• 45 Hit
• 55 Power
• 50 Run
• 60 Arm
• 50 Field
• 50 Overall

I think Wilson and Canario have a lot of potential and even out the package. As good as Joey Bart is, he doesn’t equal Haniger and Flexen.

So, what’s the chance of these trades happening? Pretty small right now. There haven’t been any connections yet and the Seattle Mariners are still on stand-by mode. This homestand will really determine what Jerry Dipoto does at the deadline, but it sounds like Joey Bart is available this week.