Mariners: A Trade Target From Each A.L. Central Team

The Seattle Mariners had a nice start to the offseason by adding Robbie Ray and Adam Frazier to the squad. They will need to make some more additions as soon as the lockout is over, and there are some options in the American League central that could improve the M’s going forward. The team needs to add another starting pitcher, a third baseman, and it would be ideal to add an outfielder. The first trade target in the A.L. Central division comes from the Chicago White Sox.

Chicago White Sox – OF Adam Engel

Adam Engel is a speed and defense center fielder for the White Sox, and he could be the exact person for Seattle in center field. Engel is one of the fastest players in the game today, 98th in sprint speed. He also is an above-average defender in center field, with 7 defensive runs saved in just 40 games in 2021. Engel’s season was derailed by injuries, limiting his playing time. He has only played one full season in his career, but some numbers suggest he may have figured it out.

Engel has played fewer than 40 games each of the past two seasons but has been an above-average offensive player in those two shortened seasons. He posted a 121 and 127 wRC+ in the last two years, by far the best of his career. He had been below league average before these years, but he could be emerging with his bat as he is now 30 years old.

Adam Engel could fit perfectly for the Mariners because he could be the club’s center fielder and if, eventually, they feel comfortable with Jarred Kelenic in center field, then he can be one of the best fourth outfielders in recent M’s history. Engel plays all three outfield spots well, has great speed, and has an upside for improving offensively. Even if he is a part-time player, he would be a much better fit than Jake Fraley in the Seattle outfield.

In this trade proposal, the M’s get two years of Adam Engel for three years of Dylan Moore. The team of writers at SouthSide Showdown talked with another writer at SoDo Mojo about the White Sox needing second base and right field help. Dylan Moore can certainly play second base and has had some time in right field. While he struggled last year offensively, he is good defensively as well, but he does not have the injury concerns of Engel.

Adam Engel is also just a backup in Chicago with Luis Robert in center field nearly every game, so he could be available for the Mariners. The White Sox would make this deal to trade someone they don’t necessarily need for someone who can address their needs. It is a solid swap of average players from both clubs. The next trade target is also an option for the M’s in the outfield who can play center field as well.

Cleveland Guardians – OF Bradley Zimmer

Bradley Zimmer is a slightly similar player to Adam Engel, but he has not had the good offensive numbers that Engel has put up. Zimmer has been more available by contrast and is every bit as fast and good defensively. Zimmer had 3 DRS in 2021, in many more attempts compared to Engel. Zimmer is a lefty, compared to the right-handed Engel. Zimmer played in 99 games last year for Cleveland, amassing 1.1 WAR, and putting up a 89 wRC+.

The reason that the Mariners would target Zimmer is that when compared to Jake Fraley, Zimmer can help out in different ways that are more valuable. Zimmer can play center field, Fraley cannot, and  Zimmer is faster than Fraley. The ability to play center field is needed for the M’s in 2022, so Zimmer is a better fit for the club’s fourth outfielder going forward. Zimmer also has a much longer track record of being healthy and being a competent big leaguer than Fraley.

This is another simple swap of players who are not key cogs for their current teams but would fit better by being traded. Zimmer would be a good fit for the M’s, and Swanson would be a good fit for the Guardians. The Guardians need to add pitching help for their bullpen, and Swanson had a fairly good season for the Mariners last year. Also, Bradley Zimmer fits the Mariners need in center field for next year.

This is another even swap of players that would be dealt from players that would fit better in a new situation. The next trade target is one for the starting rotation.

Detroit Tigers – LHP Tyler Alexander

Tyler Alexander is a solid starting pitcher who could fit the Mariners fifth starter role that is currently probably Justin Dunn. The Mariners need to bring someone in to fill that role, and Alexander could certainly fill it. He started 15 games last year for Detroit, but appeared in 41 games, so he has experience in both the rotation and the bullpen.

This suggests that Alexander could come in for the first half of the year, and be moved to the 6th starter/long reliever role if George Kirby, Matt Brash, or Brandon Williamson is ready to fill his spot. In his 106.1 innings, Alexander had a 3.81 ERA, 87 strikeouts, 28 walks, and a FIP of 4.39. He overall was fairly average, but he certainly was a fine fifth starter for the Tigers last year. He could be a solid option for the Mariners at the back end of their rotation.

This trade scenario nets the M’s Tyler Alexander for prospect Kaden Polcovich. Polcovich is technically a shortstop, but he profiles as a second base, third base, and shortstop utility type player. He is not a star prospect, but Alexander does would not net a top prospect. The Tigers would be buying in on someone who made it to AA last year and is going to be 23 next year. The Tigers could use Polcovich in a few years when they should be a better team than now.

The Mariners could certainly use the services of Tyler Alexander, even if he is not the most popular option for the team in 2022, but he would be able to fill some innings that the Mariners need. The next target comes from the Royals, and is be a former top prospect who could help the M’s infield in 2022 and beyond.

Kansas City Royals – INF Adalberto Mondesi

Adalberto Mondesi was once a highly thought of prospect for the Royals, ranked as high as 37th by MLB Pipeline in 2016. Since then, Mondesi has struggled for the Royals and has moved from shortstop to third base. He is not a traditional third baseman, but he provides a unique skill set and strengths that the Mariners could use to their benefit. While he is not the biggest name or slugger, he could be an option for the Mariners if they miss out on Kris Bryant or Trevor Story.

The comparison for a scenario where the Mariners acquire Adalberto Mondesi can be found in the current heartbeat of the Mariners club, J.P. Crawford. Crawford was acquired after being a top prospect for the Phillies and struggling in the big leagues a bit. They have very different tools and traits, but the premise is the same. Mondesi could benefit from a change of scenery, and the Mariners may have the chance to give it to him.

The Mariners may be able to change something with his approach to improve his offensive and defensive skills. Mondesi has had up and down years in the field, but a Spring Training with infield coach Perry Hill should turn him into at least average, with the potential to be above average. Working with the hitting coaches in Seattle could also help him develop, as he is only 26 years old. Being around Crawford might also benefit him, as he would be at a similar point in his career.

The biggest problem with Mondesi is his health. He has been placed on the injured list 5 times dating back to 2019, costing him to only play in exactly half of all possible games the last three seasons. That is not a good number, but he has shown flashes of being a very exciting and valuable player.

The best tool in Mondesi’s bag is his speed. He stole 32,43, and 24 bases from 2018-2020 for the Royals. He is one of the fastest players in baseball and one of the best baserunners. He would immediately be the best runner on the M’s roster and give them legit 20 plus steal potential. That is something that they currently don’t have and it would be a boost to the team.

The potential to be a 2-4 WAR player as he showed in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019. Mondesi put up a 2.8 WAR season in just 75 games and had a 113 wRC+. In 2019 he had a 2.4 WAR season in a career-high 102 games but had an 81 wRC+. If the Mariners can unlock something in Mondesi, he could emerge as a solid young player. He is a free agent after 2023, so the Mariners would only acquire him for two seasons, therefore keeping a trade cost down.

In this trade scenario, the M’s would send Taylor Trammell and Wyatt Mills to the Royals for Mondesi. From a Royals perspective, they are getting a young outfielder who has a small amount of big league time and was once a highly regarded prospect. Trammell would be in the mix to play in the Royals 2022 outfield and has many years of club control remaining. Mills is a bullpen piece who probably would have seen more action if he was not on the Mariners last year.

The combination of Trammell and Mills gives the Royals two potential mid-tier players, not stars, but competent players to fill around young players like Bobby Witt and Nicky Lopez. The Mariners would be buying in on Adalberto Mondesi and believe that they can turn him into something better. An interesting idea with Mondesi would be to see if he could play center field with his speed. That would be a way to boost his value even more for Seattle.