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One Mariners Trade Proposal from Each N.L. Central Team

By Curtis Christianson

GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 29: Jesse Winker #33 of the Cincinnati Reds catches a fly ball off the bat of Jake Fraley of the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark on March 29, 2021 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 29: Jesse Winker #33 of the Cincinnati Reds catches a fly ball off the bat of Jake Fraley of the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark on March 29, 2021 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 08: Jesse Winker #33 of the Cincinnati Reds bats during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on August 8, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 08: Jesse Winker #33 of the Cincinnati Reds bats during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on August 8, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

Cincinatti Reds – Jesse Winker

Jesse Winker emerged last season as one of the best hitters in the game. He had a breakout season for the Reds, slashing .305/.394/.556 in 110 games. Those numbers are incredible, and far better than anything the Mariners ran out in left field last year. He was worth 3.2 WAR, had a 148 wRC+, hit 24 home runs, and 32 doubles. He truly emerged as a massive offensive threat from the left side of the plate.

Winker had outstanding expected numbers across the board. His Baseball Savant page is covered in red circles, indicating top levels of offensive production. Possibly two of the best statistics were his walk and strikeout rates. He only struck out about 15% of the time, and waked about 10% of the time. This shows that he controls the zone, just like Jerry Dipoto likes. He would be a fantastic addition to the Mariners lineup in 2022.

He is under contract through 2023, so he would not cost a massive haul, but he will certainly cost prospects that Mariners fans like and could contribute in the future.

In this trade proposal, the Mariners would be getting two years of Jesse Winker on a fairly good contract. However, he struggles defensively in left field. His bat certainly makes up for his lack of defense, but he has never had a year like last year, so he may not put up the same numbers again.

For the Reds, they are expected to tear down and rebuild and cut payroll. In this package, they would be getting a young 18 year old outfielder in Gabriel Gonzalez who is an interesting international player. He was signed for $1.3 million last year and he is a long ways away, but he fits the Reds future timeline. Connor Phillips could be included here, as he was in the previous proposal.

Both of these players are easily top 20, maybe even higher across multiple outlets, but Winker is coming off of an absolute monster season at the plate. His injuries are a concern, but he would be a big time threat to add to the lineup. If the Mariners added Winker and Trevor Story to their lineup, that would make their lineup a true strength, and it would position them to compete for the division. The next trade proposal involves another outfield option.

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