What’s Next for Jerry Dipoto After Dealing Kendall Graveman

Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto certainly sent shockwaves through the Mariners organization and fanbase Tuesday afternoon, when he surprisingly shipped Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero to Houston (of all places) in exchange for Abraham Toro and Joe Smith.

The deal drew reactions from just about everyone, with some hating the deal from a short-term perspective and others understanding the long-term play, with Toro under control for four years.

So, what’s next for Jerry Dipoto and the Seattle Mariners after sending Kendall Graveman to Houston?

In a press conference right after the deal though, Dipoto made it abundantly clear that the team was not done dealing. Which of course, got everyone thinking about what else could be up Jerry’s sleeve ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.

Immediately followed the Graveman deal, Trea Turner was lifted from the Nationals game, sending Mariners Twitter into a frenzy, thinking Turner could be Seattle bound, although it was later announced he tested positive for COVID.

But now, what do the Mariners do? Toro does to a degree, fills the need for a backup infielder that Seattle has been sorely lacking. But the team still needs a starter, a second baseman, and in all likelihood, another reliever.

It feels like the Mariners have been linked to every middle infielder in the book, from Jose Ramirez to Whit Merrifield to Turner and so on. And despite his heroics last night, Dylan Moore is probably better suited as a bench player used in pinch-hit and pinch-run roles, with some starts sprinkled in. For what it’s worth, Toro has played some second base, but he’s not exactly an upgrade over Moore.

Should the Seattle Mariners trade for Whit Merrifield?

The Mariners are in the market for second basemen at the deadline. The Royals said that they would take calls on Whitt Merrifield, will Seattle make a move?

During yesterday’s game, Jerry Dipoto acquired Tyler Anderson from the Pittsburgh Pirates to bring in a starting pitcher. Darren McCaughan got smoked by Houston Monday night and was subsequently optioned to AAA which suggests Anderson will be making the start in that spot in the rotation on Saturday.

The one thing for certain is that the next two and a half days are going to be very, very interesting. Jerry isn’t done, and the next couple of days could define the rest of the 2021 Mariners season.