What Could Come of Mariners-Phillies Trade Talks?

The Seattle Mariners are expected to be one of the more aggressive teams this offseason, and they have made a few moves already. They added Robbie Ray and Adam Frazier, and have more work to do. The Mariners have had at least some form of trade talks with the Philadelphia Phillies, and that could present an interesting scenario for both squads. There are no details on what type of deals or what players were discussed, but here are some potential players.

The Mariners and Phillies Could Match Up for A Trade

Jason Churchill of Prospect Insider talked on the Baseball Things podcast that the Seattle Mariners have had trade talks with the Phillies. He said that the Mariners had not had any significant talks with them, and are not close on anything specific.

Alec Bohm

Alec Bohm was considered to be one of the better third base prospects when he came up in 2020. He had a breakout shortened season for the Phillies, posting a 1.2 WAR and 138 wRC+. He looked very good and he had a very good potential at third base. This could be of potential interest to the Mariners since they currently don’t have a third baseman, but he had a bad 2021. He was not very good last year and had to be sent back down to AAA.

If the Mariners had acquired Bohm at this point in his career two years ago, that would be a much better fit. The Mariners could have gone with Bohm, a younger player, at third base. Now, the Mariners need more of a sure thing. He is certainly interesting, but he can’t be the only answer to third base.

Rhys Hoskins

Now, some might have a bad reaction to Hoskins because he is primarily a first baseman, and the M’s have Ty France. That is correct, but Hoskins is a very good hitter, and the Mariners do not have enough of them. They could put him in left field and play him at designated hitter when they don’t want him in left field. He is not great in the outfield, but if the Mariners want his bat to be in the lineup they could sacrifice.

Hoskins has put up at least a 112 wRC+ in each of his first five big league seasons. He also had a 127 wRC+ last year. He could be an option for the Mariners, but not the most likely situation since he is well below average in left field. He would not be a bad player to add though since he would give the Mariners some much-needed slugging in their lineup.

Zach Eflin

Zach Eflin could be an option to fill the Mariners final spot in the starting rotation. Eflin has been a productive starter for a while, but at the end of the year, he had to have surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his knee. That could offer some problems for the Mariners, since he probably won’t be ready to start the season. However, he is only under contract for the 2022 season, so he would be fairly cheap and could be a player who could help in the second half for the Mariners.

Now Here are Some Mariners Players that the Phillies Could Be Targeting

Drew Steckenrider

Drew Steckenrider had a very good season in the back end of the Mariners bullpen. He was very underrated during the first half of the season, but after the club traded Kendall Graveman to the Astros, Steckenrider turned into their main closer. He would usually pitch the ninth inning and Paul Sewald usually got the most important outs in the 7th or 8th inning. Steckenrider had exactly a 2 ERA in 67.1 innings. That is incredibly reliable and could be a target of the Phillies who lack arms.

Kyle Lewis

Kyle Lewis seems to be falling out of favor with the M’s. He could be on the trading block due to his injuries and his lack of consistency. The Phillies could target him in a trade because they need more outfielders, and if Lewis can return to form, he could be a very good and exciting player for any team. The Mariners probably don’t want to part with him for prospects, but if they got an everyday regular or a quality starting pitcher it could be worth pursuing.

Jake Fraley

Jake Fraley certainly isn’t a sexy player at all, but he can get on base a lot. If the Phillies like his ability to get on base and think that they could get more out of him if he can stay healthy, then he could be a target. The Phillies could use another outfielder who had big-league time, so Fraley could be an option to play part-time for them. He could be sent over for either prospects to flip for something else, or a bullpen arm, or as part of a bigger package most likely.

The Mariners and Phillies made a deal back when the Mariners started their rebuild that netted Seattle their shortstop J.P. Crawford, and the two could partner up again. There are several names out there that could be swapped between the teams, and they present some interesting options for Mariners and Phillies fans.