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

The Seattle Mariners have one of the most creative baseball operations departments in Major League Baseball. Jerry Dipoto was one of the most creative General Managers in the game before being promoted to President. He made one trade for Adam Frazier and signed one free agent in Robbie Ray before the lockout started.

Jerry Dipoto will have to make more moves after the lockout ends, and there are a few ways that he could do it. We’ve looked at trades he could make with a few different divisions throughout baseball. Today, we take a look at players from each N.L. Central team that the M’s could trade for.

Chicago Cubs – Ian Happ

First up is Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ. He was once the 9th overall pick in the draft at the end of the Cubs run of great first round picks. He converted from second base to the outfield. He has definitely gone away from being an infielder, and fully embraced being a slugging outfielder. He is now a center fielder/left fielder, but he probably belongs in left field only. He was worth -2 DRS in center, but had a positive 2 DRS in left field in about 60 games each.

The switch hitter has a unique fit with the Mariners, and he could fit a role very nicely. He could play left field and replace Jake Fraley in the outfield mix, and provide much more offensive value than Fraley. Happ slashed .226/.323/.434 last year in 148 games. His value came from his 25 home runs last year. He would provide similar power production to what Kyle Seager gave the Mariners last year, but he will have more on base value.

He was not a star at all, but he was consistent. He had a 103 wRC+ and was worth 1.3 WAR. His batting average on balls in play dipped significantly below .300 for the first time in his career, so he could have a better 2022 if that number goes back to his career norms. He has consistently been a near 2 WAR player, and playing for a M’s team that is trying to get to the playoffs could give him a boost. He has playoff experience with the Cubs, and he could be a good add for the Mariners.

Trading for him would not cost nothing, but the Mariners would have to give up quality depth pieces from their farm system.

This proposal is headlined by Connor Phillips, who is one of the many Mariners pitching prospects who figures to be a big league rotation piece some day. He is only 20 years old, and should be able to reach AA in the second half of next year. Along with Phillips is Taylor Trammell, who was once a top 100 prospect by many. He struggled in his first taste of big league action, but he should be ready for another shot at the big league level after figuring some things out at AAA Tacoma.

Finally, in this mock trade proposal is outfielder Luis Bolivar. He is only 17 years old and has a long way to go, but he has lots of upside as a speed and contact outfielder. He has a lot of potential, but lacks power currently. This deal would help the Cubs be more ready for contention in a few years, assuming that they are not ready to fully compete yet.

Adding Ian Happ to the Mariners outfield would be very interesting, especially since he has plenty of power potential. He could make the Mariners opening day outfield Happ in left, Jarred Kelenic in center, and Mitch Haniger in right. That trio could easily hit at least 60 or more home runs in 2022, and has the upside for lots more. Happ’s power and switch hitting ability could make him a very intriguing add for the Mariners outfield. Next up is an even better slugging left fielder.

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.

Pittsburgh Pirates – Cole Tucker

The Pittsburgh Pirates do not have a loaded roster by any means. They are very deprived of talent, and there are not a whole lot of players for the Mariners to target. Bryan Reynolds is one of the best players in baseball, and could be someone the Mariners inquire about.

An interesting player on the Pirates that the M’s could acquire is Cole Tucker. He is a very exciting and athletic player. He has been struggling at the big league level, but he was a first round pick in 2014, so he certainly has potential. He also has made some very exciting plays.

Cole Tucker is listed as a shortstop, but he is an up the middle utility player. He can play shortstop, second base, and center field. He needs to spend more time in AAA before being ready for consistent big league time. The Mariners can give that to him, and they can make him a better player with their development system. They will not have to give up a lot for him at all in a trade.

In this trade proposal, both teams would be swapping players that they do not believe in anymore, and players that have struggled. Both Tucker and Sheffield need a new start somewhere else, and they can both have that chance in Pittsburgh. Sheffield could easily have the opportunity to start for the Pirates since they do not have much rotation depth. Next up is a fire ball reliever who could make the Mariners bullpen even more dynamic.

St. Louis Cardinals – Jordan Hicks

Jordan Hicks has some of the nastiest stuff in the game of baseball. He easily throws over 100 miles per hour, and he does so with incredible movement. He has a great fastball, sinker, and slider that are all incredibly nasty. Here is one of his nasty pitches.

He had to have Tommy John surgery in 2019, and sat out all of 2020 to try to get healthy during the covid year. Then he spent most of the past year on the injured list again. He has tons of injury concerns, but the potential is totally there with him. He is only 25 years old, and he has two years of club control left. The Mariners could take advantage of this and try to acquire him.

In this trade proposal, the Mariners would be adding to their roster with a great bullpen piece in Hicks. They would be giving up Jake Fraley, who would slot in as the Cardinals fourth outfielder. They would also be giving up an interesting relief pitching prospect in Luis Curvelo. The pair would give the Cardinals a helpful piece for their current team, as well as a future relief option in Luis Curvelo.

Jordan Hicks would be a very risky add for the Mariners, but he could pay off huge if he can return to form and be healthy again. He would certainly be a fun pitcher to watch come out of the Mariners bullpen along with Paul Sewald and Ken Giles. He would be a potential stud for the Mariners to acquire.

Overall, there are several players that could be trade candidates for the Mariners. Jerry Dipoto is certainly a very creative President of Baseball Ops, so he could easily pull off tons of trades. Here are five of the best options from some of the N.L. Central teams, and the Mariners certainly can pursue these ideas to round out their team for 2022 and beyond in some cases.