Mariners Trade Proposal: The Tigers making Tarik Skubal available

Mariners Trade Proposal #1: Jarred Kelenic+some for Tarik Skubal

If we were talking about Kelenic’s value at the start of the 2021 season, then they would’ve needed more back in this deal. Instead, Skubal has been succeeding at the MLB level, while Kelenic struggled. It’s why if the Mariners are going to include Jarred Kelenic as the centerpiece in a deal like this, it would likely take a bit more to get Skubal.

Kelenic just turned 23, the same age as a handful of current top 25 prospects in all of baseball. He was younger than 55% of players in this year’s MLB Futures game. I’m saying this because he is still crazy young, and anyone who has written him off is a dummy.

“Wait, aren’t you writing him off by trading him?”

No, that isn’t what I’m doing. What I’m trying to do here is get the Mariners another stud young pitcher who will have a chance to give the Mariners one of the nastiest rotations in all of baseball. Ray, Gilbert, Skubal, and Kirby as your top 4? And rotation LHP, RHP, LHP, RHP? Yeah, that sounds wonderful to me. In order to do that, you’re going to have to give up some good talent, and Kelenic is the kind of guy that would need to be included.

Alongside him, I think some middling prospects from the Mariners would be necessary still. Bryce Miller has done well since being drafted by the Mariners last year and could be a “replacement” for Skubal, someone who would have a chance to come up in the near future and take a role in their rotation.

Finally, I’ll add Kaden Polcovich. He’s a bit lower of a prospect but has shown both power and speed at times in the minors. In AA, he has shown that the speed is real with a little diminished power, but is still walking at a great rate. With his age (23.3), he should get a shot next year sometime to see what he can do at the MLB level, even if it is a September callup.