Jerry Dipoto Flashes Trade Chips, Flexen, Gonzales at Winter Meetings

Major League Baseball held the annual General Manager’s Meetings this week, stoking the hot stove with a few trades and rumors. Not to mention, uber-agent Scott Boras’ filled his press conference with hyperbole on free agents Carlos Correa, Michael Conforto, et al. The Mariners are ever-active, and Jerry Dipoto can’t seem to go a day without making a couple of calls.

Cashing in on Pitching Depth is a Possibility for Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners

President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto made the media circuit with some interesting nuggets for the fan base. One of the most telling signs is multiple sources, such as Seattle Times reporter Ryan Divish uncovering this juicy tidbit.

As we wrote a few weeks ago, this was always a possibility, but now it seems more like a reality. The Mariners have a strong pitching development program that graduated George Kirby and Logan Gilbert in the past two years. The next wave of high-upside pitching is in Arkansas, where Bryce Miller, Emerson Hancock, and recent 40-man addition Prelander Berroa made considerable strides in 2022.

Dipoto also told Divish that flamethrower Matt Brash would be bringing his triple-digit heat and gyroball slider back to the rotation next year. He isn’t guaranteed a spot in the five but will compete for the final spot.

Dipoto also expressed interest in Japanese hurler Kodai Senga. If they sign him this offseason, starters with less upside could be leveraged to help fill holes in the lineup, preferably at second base in the corner outfield. J.P. Morosi sat down with Dipoto this week and parsed the tea leaves with Seattle Sports 710, Wyman, and Dave.

“Perhaps Teoscar for (Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic and more) could make some sense… I think Kelenic is a really interesting guy. I think the Mariners like him maybe more than anybody else does, but I also believe that there is the chance that he in a different environment would really find something. And Toronto has a history of finding guys who … didn’t quite put it all together (elsewhere), and honestly, Teoscar Hernández was one of those guys in Houston.”

Plenty of available bats would look great in the Mariner’s lineup. Teoscar Hernandez or Brendan Rodgers would help raise the team’s on-base percentage or provide some thunder in the lineup.

But even the casual fan knows “Trader Jerry” is good at making deals that force us to fire up the Google Machine. So buckle up because if these first few days indicate what’s ahead, the stove is just getting warm.