One Mariners Trade Proposal With Each N.L. East Team

The Seattle Mariners made some quality additions earlier in the offseason, signing Robbie Ray and trading for Adam Frazier. If the lockout ever ends and we get to see baseball again, there will be a mad dash for the M’s and other clubs to add players before the season starts. The Mariners have some holes, and they need to make some moves, so there could be trades ready to be announced whenever the lockout ends.

Here are some possible trade scenarios with each team in the National League East:

Mariners Trade Target: Atlanta Braves LHP A.J. Minter

The first player that the Mariners could trade for here is Atlanta Braves lefty reliever A.J. Minter. The Braves are coming off of a World Series win, and the Mariners are trying to get there. Minter is a perfect fit for the Mariners because they don’t have a great left-handed reliever in their bullpen. Minter is better versus lefties than Anthony Misiewicz, who is currently the lone lefty in the Seattle bullpen.

Minter could be available because the Braves are pretty lefty-heavy in their bullpen. Their closer is a lefty, and they have another lefty similar to Minter in Tyler Matzek. The Braves do have a pretty decent bullpen, but it has been inconsistent in years past. They don’t have many good right handed relievers, so the Mariners could theoretically make a swap and give them some players that fill holes for the defending champs.

In this trade proposal, the Mariners would be giving the Braves Dylan Moore and Erik Swanson. Both of those players fill specific needs for Atlanta. They do not have a good backup infielder on their roster. They currently have Orlando Arcia projected to be their backup at every infield position. Moore would be an upgrade there with upside, and he can play the outfield as well. He would not have to play very much, but he could be a bounce back candidate for the Braves.

Swanson fits because he is a righty reliever who had a pretty good year last year and is underrated by many. He is better than some of their current relievers, and he fills a hole in that bullpen.

The next trade proposal comes from the Miami Marlins, and it involves some young catching talent.

Mariners Trade Target: Miami Marlins Catcher Nick Fortes

The Seattle Mariners do not have the best catching situation going into the 2022 season. Tom Murphy struggled mightily for most of last season, Luis Torrens may not be able to handle the position defensively, and Cal Raleigh really struggled with his bat at the big league level. This could lead to the M’s targeting a catcher, even though Jerry Dipoto has said that they are confident in the group that they have.

Dipoto’s public praise could be to boost the confidence of the catchers on the roster, and the front office could be looking to make an addition behind the scenes. Even if this is not the case, adding catching depth is always good. The organization currently has Jose Godoy as catching depth, so they could look to upgrade.

This is why I believe that Nick Fortes is a possible target for the Mariners. He is not a star by any means or even a top prospect. He was drafted out of Ole Miss in 2018 in the fourth round, and made his way to the big leagues last year where he hit very well, but in only 14 games. He figures to be in the mix for the Marlins backup catcher role in 2022.

In this trade proposal, the Mariners would send the Marlins a pair of outfielders. One for their roster right now in Jake Fraley, and one for the future in Luis Bolivar. Fraley would fit their roster well because he is left-handed and most of their outfield is right-handed. He could benefit from being in another spot where he can start over with a new team. He has experience at the big league level, which most of the Marlins outfielders are lacking.

Bolivar is years away, but he is an interesting fringe top-30 prospect for the M’s currently. This trade could work because Fortes is considered a lesser prospect for the Fish, but he could be valuable depth for the Mariners. If he can hit better, along with average defense, he could be a solid backup or AAA call-up candidate with Seattle.

The next trade target is a slugger who could play a utility role in Seattle:

Mariners Trade Target: New York Mets 1B/DH Dominic Smith

Dominic Smith was once the 11th pick in the draft back in 2013 out of high school. He had the potential for big time power and to be a solid contributor at first base. He made it to the big leagues in 2017, but has never had a full season in the big leagues like many thought he would, and he hasn’t been too great in the majors. However, he did have a huge 2020 season.

In 2020, Smith slashed .316/.377/.616 in 50 games during the shortened season with a 166 wRC+. Even though it was a super short sample size, he still finished 13th in NL MVP voting that year. The potential is clearly there; he can be a big time slugger with a plus bat. If he can even sniff those numbers again, he could be an absolute stud. The problem is, he regressed last year in 2021.

Last season, he slashed .244/.304/.363 in a career high 145 games. He really struggled, and this is why he could be a bounce back candidate. There have been some talking about Smith being on the trade block with teammate Jeff McNeil, so the M’s could make a deal for him. The problem is, he is primarily a first baseman, and the M’s have Ty France.

If the M’s had Smith and France, they could use France at first because he is the better defender, and then use Smith as a DH. The Mariners currently have Luis Torrens slotted in as the DH, but the Mariners could use some left handed power in their lineup for the 2022 season. The only lefties on the 40-man roster are Jarred Kelenic, Taylor Trammell, Jake Fraley, Adam Frazier, J.P. Crawford, with Cal Raleigh and Abraham Toro being switch hitters.

The M’s don’t have proven left-handed power on their roster, and Smith could be an interesting way to get it. Smith played 114 games in left field last year, so the Mariners could use him there too even though he isn’t very good in the outfield. Overall, Smith is a better depth option than some of the Mariners currently projected bench players.

In this trade package, the Mets would be getting a decent lefty for their bullpen in Anthony Misiewicz (after losing Aaron Loup to free agency), and a young arm in Juan Mercedes. Misiewicz would fit on the Mets roster because they do not have a left-handed reliever on their current projected roster. Smith could also be on the way out if New York signs a big name infielder like Kris Bryant.

Interestingly enough, Dominic Smith hits better against left-handed pitching than right-handed pitching. He has a career .273 batting average versus lefties and a 111 wRC+. I believe that Dominic Smith would be a solid buy-low option for the Mariners, and someone who could bounce back. He also has good slugging numbers and he could be a decent power hitter for the Mariners from the left side of the plate, which they are lacking.

Next up is a possible trade for a starting pitcher:

Philadelphia Phillies – RHP Kyle Gibson

Looking at the Mariners rotation, it needs some work. The 5th spot looks like it comes down to a battle between Justin Dunn, Justus Sheffield, and Matt Brash. They have to go add someone else, and Kyle Gibson of the Phillies could be that guy. He was acquired from the Rangers last year at the deadline, and he is now going into the final year of his deal.

Kyle Gibson is a quality mid-rotation arm, probably most comparable to Chris Flexen, but with more experience and a better track record. He has had a 2.6 WAR or better the last four seasons except for the shortened 2020 season. He has also had over 160 innings in those three normal years, and has been a very steady pitcher.

The Mariners would have a tough time trading for Gibson, and that is because the Phillies are trying to win now as well. This could be a possible hurdle in a trade, but I believe that there is a way or two to make it work. Clearly, the Mariners would have to give up some current major league pieces for the steady veteran.

In this trade scenario, the M’s would be getting one year of Gibson for two years of a proven reliever in Drew Steckenrider, and several years of Jake Fraley. Steckenrider could immediately be one of the Phillies’ best relievers, possibly their closer. They have had bad bullpens the last several years, so having someone to shore things up at the back end could be important.

They also need outfield help, and badly. That is why Fraley would work for them. Their outfielders on their 40-man roster (besides Bryce Harper) are Mickey Moniak, Adam Hasseley, Simon Muzziotti, Matt Vierling, and Jhailyn Ortiz. That group needs an upgrade, and Fraley could be it.

The final NL East trade target comes from the nation’s capital: