Mariners Trade Proposal: Tommy Edman from the Cardinals

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Jul 4, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Dee Gordon (9) turns a double play against St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Tommy Edman (19) during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

I’ll start off with this. I have no idea if Tommy Edman is available, or if the Cardinals would be interested in trading him away. It’s the offseason, and sometimes it’s fun to shake things up a bit. If the Mariners offered enough to pry their second baseman away and fill a big hole on the team, would it be worth it? Would they do it?

Honestly, I think the Mariners would be interested, even if they had to give up a bit. Second base has long been a problem for the Mariners, and Tommy Edman checks a lot of boxes.

He’s only 26, he’s got a good glove, great speed, a fair amount of pop, and a low strikeout rate. Why wouldn’t you want a guy like that? Again, that might make it hard for the Mariners to get him from the Cardinals, but I wanted to throw a couple of proposals out that I think would be tempting.

The Mariners definitely need a second baseman. They could continue playing Abraham Toro there, but he’s more comfortable at third base. Toro is still pretty young and could continue to grow and improve, but that’s a story for another day.

Edman would make more than just a great double-play combination with Crawford up the middle, he would provide a great one-two leadoff duo as well. Follow them up with France, Haniger, and a FA signing, plus Kyle Lewis, and you have a pretty darn good lineup all of a sudden.

So, what would it take to get something done for Edman? Let’s take a look at a couple of potential trades that the Mariners could offer to the Cardinals to draw and pluck him away.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 06: Tommy Edman #19 reacts after throwing to complete a double play ending the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the National League Wild Card Game at Dodger Stadium on October 06, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Mariners Trade Proposal #1

This would get the Cardinals two pitching prospects, one of which is ranked pretty darn high. The Mariners have a bevy of pitchers coming up through the system, some of which are making a lot of noise and showing that they should get the call sooner than expected.

Think about it. Brash, Hancock, Kirby, Williamson, Stoudt, Phillips, Campbell, Then. That’s a lot of youngsters who are gonna deserve a look at some point in the near future. Why not shore up the offense now by fixing one of the weak spots for the Mariners, and trade away some of that pitching depth.

I understand that you can never have too much pitching. However, the Mariners might be in the best overall position that they have seen in 20 years. Talent, at the minor and major league levels, money to spend, and a growing fan base. Let’s take advantage now but slightly reduce the system for a great major league second baseman.

I’m throwing Then in the deal as well. He’s still young and crazy talented. He gave up a good amount of hits this year, but he’s only 21. There is a lot of maturing left to do in his body and his game. He’s the exact kind of guy, that come 2025, you would look back at his transaction log and be amazed that he was one of the “throw-in” guys.

OAKLAND, CA – SEPTMEBER 23: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners hits a home run during the game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on September 23, 2021 in Oakland, California. The Mariners defeated the Athletics 6-5. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

Mariners Trade Proposal #2

The Cardinals are going to be looking for a replacement for Yadier Molina soon. They have a couple of options in the minors with Ivan Herrera, and funny enough, a catcher that goes by the name of Julio Rodriguez. They are both in their early 20’s, but neither were ranked as high overall as Raleigh was.

Also, what better way to train a new guy in Raleigh than by sending him to the Cards to learn under Yadi. Molina is arguably one of the best catchers of all time and could teach more to Raleigh than almost anyone else in the game. Molina signed a one-year extension and is still throwing out an impressive 41% of runners, but he is likely done after 2022.

Raleigh did struggle a bit in 2021, but he’s young. It should not have been a surprise to fans to see him not fire off out of the gate. He only had 150 PAs, so it is way too early to call him a bust or give up on him.

“Hey, you’re the one trading him, so doesn’t that mean you’re giving up on him?”

Nope, I still believe in the guy, and the only reason I’m sending him out is to get Edman. We add Macko into the mix to give the Cards an LHP pitching project, a guy with a lot of upside, but one who needs some polish for sure.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JULY 27: Chris Flexen #77 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on July 27, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

Mariners Trade Proposal #3

Ight. Hear me out. This goes in line with a bit of what I said before. The Mariners have a lot of pitching depth. Personally, there is this worry deep inside of me that Flexen could’ve just finished up his peak season. I could be 100% wrong, and I hope I am.

But, if it was, this is a great time to trade him. He’s got a lot of control left, so Edman’s control is offset there. With the plethora of starting pitchers out there, the Mariners could trade for Tommy Edman, then go out and sign a couple, trusting in those guys over Flexen.

In a way, it’s the MLB-ready version of the Marco-O’Neill trade from before. Each player could change after the trade, you don’t know who’s gonna win or lose, but it’s helping both teams out. Could Flexen be a replacement for Wainwright? No, not in the ceiling and talent, but a solid guy who could sit near the front of your rotation.

These are the trades that are hard to work through. A player you like on the team your root for. Do you know what else is tough though? Never making the playoffs. I see that window, and I want to go through it. If it means giving up Flexen to get an answer in Edman for second base, then signing pitching… I’m okay with that.

Next. Free Agent Targets: The Mariners should sign Robbie Ray. dark

Think either side would go for any of these? I think they would be a great starting point for a Tommy Edman to the Mariners trade. The teams have made deals in the past, so why not shoot for one more.

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Mariners Trade Proposal #1

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