A FanSided Mock Trade: Mariners and Padres Make Shocking Trade

It is very rare to see in baseball, but sometimes we get a good old-fashioned stare-down challenge trade. A trade that doesn’t involve prospects, no clear seller, just two teams trading legitimate players to get over their proverbial hump… like we are proposing here for the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres.

Back in the spring of 1997, the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians, two of the elite franchises of the 90’s, made one of those “challenge” trades. Just days before the start of the season, the Braves and Indians agreed to a trade that sent David Justice and Marquis Grissom to Cleveland in exchange for Kenny Lofton and Alan Embree.

The Braves, the defending NL champions, traded the majority of their outfield to Cleveland in exchange for the best leadoff hitter in the game at the time. Cleveland, knowing the dynamic Lofton was going to leave in free agency the following year, got back two really good players that had helped the 1995 Braves beat the Indians in the World Series.

The trade was extremely rare and controversial, but it worked. The Indians returned to the World Series that fall, and the Braves would make three more League Championship Series and another World Series in 1999. I think it is time we see another one of those challenge trades that could help both teams get to the postseason.

Tis the season for hopes and trades. Here at Sodo Mojo, we’re bringing you a trade proposal almost every day. There are times when Sodo Mojo will actually work through a trade with another FanSided site to come up with a deal, so it ends up being a FanSided mock trade proposal. Recently, I was able to strike a deal with the San Diego Padres, courtesy of Friars On Base. I’m sure this trade will go over smoothly with all of you!

The Seattle Mariners should trade Mitch Haniger to San Diego for Blake Snell

Mariners Trade: Why it works for San Diego

When talking about the deal with Friars On Base site expert Rylie Smith, she discussed how the trade for Haniger could help a Padres team in need of some offense.

“A lot of trade rumors have suggested the Padres are looking to improve the outfield. For a while Profar was the best (he still is in a sense, but Mazara is hitting better now), and I think Haniger is a well enough hitter to line up well with guys like Profar and Mazara. The Padres need the offensive help, and Snell is kind of in a tricky spot with so many good pitchers on the Padres. I definitely think a trade like that would be both beneficial and realistic, we have Machado and Tatis for power hitters and recently, Abrams is showing he might become one too, so I think Haniger would fit in extremely well, where he’s not necessarily a slugger but would still help increase the overall performance of the lineup and the Padres wouldn’t have to spend a fortune on him.”

When discussing the details of the trade, Smith agreed that a straight 1-for-1 deal makes the most sense.

“I think that’s a good idea. I feel like the Padres like Snell well enough, but I don’t think they’d do much to keep him on the team considering he hasn’t been performing to the level he should be this season, especially with Musgrove entering FA and potentially leaving if he doesn’t get a good deal in San Diego. I personally think a straight 1 for 1 deal would be ok, mostly because of how Snell’s been this season compared to the other pitchers and the heavy focus on improving the outfield the lineup.”

Mariners Trade Haniger? Seriously?!?!

Now, from the Seattle Mariners perspective. Let me be clear, I am a huge fan of Mitch Haniger. He’s been the heart and soul of this 2018-2022 teardown and rebuilding era. He was an all-star that has gone through so many injuries and setbacks and has battled back time and time again. What he did last year in game 161 will always be a defining moment in the spark of this new era. I want more than anything to see Mitch Haniger on a Seattle Mariners playoff team, but I also want the Mariners to get there, and I don’t know if he should be on that ship as it sails into that October harbor.

Mitch Haniger’s health can not be something that Jerry Dipoto relies on. He’s an injury-prone player, having only played nine games this season. He missed almost two years of baseball in 2019 and 2020 and has missed half the season this year. He’s also in the final year of his deal and looks all but certain to test free agency this winter. The relationship between players and management has always been in question.

While most people believe his Player’s Tribune article was a positive challenge to himself and the franchise, I can’t help but what wonder how Jerry Dipoto and owner John Stanton felt about it. I think there is a very small chance Haniger, who is from California, will be in a Seattle Mariners jersey next year.

That sucks as a fan, but as a team that is trying to break a historic drought, you have to see what you can get for a player that you’ve succeeded without, I believe Seattle can get better now and in the future by making the toughest of trades, even more, divisive than the Toro/Graveman deal.

The Mariners “Snell” an Opportunity

This is a challenge trade, so what are the Mariners getting in Blake Snell? To most, Snell has become a shell of his former self. The Seattle, Washington native is a former Cy Young winner and has shown up in big moments in the playoffs. Most notably was his final game as a Tampa Bay Ray, when he was pulled early in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series, which clearly played a huge role in Tampa losing the game.

After the World Series debacle, Snell was traded to the San Diego Padres as he has truly struggled to be the ace he was once before. With an ERA in the mid 4’s, and an ERA+ of 88 in his two Padre years, his future on a team is up in the air. San Diego is hoping to not just get to the playoffs, but go deep, and they can’t rely on Snell. So why in the world would Seattle want him?

I believe that Snell can be fixed, and can be far more valuable to Seattle. First off, fixing Blake Snell. A change of scenery can do wonders, especially when a kid comes home. Snell leaving a place where he’s experienced little success, for a homecoming where he’d instantly be a fan favorite? That’s a positive culture shock.

As for on the field, Blake has a clear problem that he’s struggled to shake, his command of the strike zone. During this season, hitters are batting a whopping .480 when he falls behind hitters, and a dominant .118 when he’s ahead of them. I believe the Cy Young talent is still there. Can Pete Woodworth get Snell in a position to dominate the zone? If so, the Mariners could have something really special, like a true top-of-the-rotation starter with World Series experience.