Baking the Cake: An Adjusted Mariners Offseason Plan

The Cake: Mariners ship a starter

We’ve heard rumblings since October that teams have called about Chris Flexen and Marco Gonzales. One possible leaked trade included the latter going to Philadelphia and Joey Gallo coming to the Pacific Northwest via New York. That transaction stalled, but it does show how valuable these players are to other teams. Especially in a free agent market where number four starters like Zac Eflin and Taijuan Walker are getting multi-year deals ranging from $40M to $72M.

If the bottom line is so essential, Dipoto and General Manager, Justin Hollander could broker a trade with a pitching-needy team like Arizona, Baltimore, Boston, or San Diego. In this proposed deal, they’d jettison Flexen to the free-spending Padres to fill a hole (LHRP) and add a prospect to augment the farm.

According to Spotrac, Gonzales has two years and $18.5M left on his contract, while Flexen has one year and $8M remaining. Flexen would be the most valuable in this market, making this the best move. The team would only add $2M in payroll to offset Pomeranz’s higher salary. Gonzales stays for now, but could be used in a trade later if Matt Brash and his new cutter earned a spot in the backend of the rotation.

Icing: Mariners get their utility Slugger

Brandon Drury enjoyed a career year in 2022, amassing 2.6 WAR with Cincinnati and San Diego. Drury has always been an average ball player, but he turned a corner over the past few years by dedicating his approach to hitting the ball with authority. As a result, the past four years have the longtime utility man swinging with a 43.7% hard-hit rate.

Even after the trade of Kolten Wong, Manager Scott Servais could use Brandon Drury on this roster. Positional versatility is an attribute this group covets and the 30-year-old utility man is the poster child. He can handle most infield positions (minus shortstop) and left field, which would give the Servais the ability to rest Ty France, Eugenio Suarez, and offer platoon options for Wong and presumably Jarred Kelenic.

Additionally, Dipoto stated the need for a right-handed bat who can cover the corners and provide some thump to the bottom of the lineup. Drury is that guy. Imaging being able to slide a Silver Slugger into the seven hole of the lineup. That is the epitome of depth.

Sign him to a 2 yr – $24M contract which looks like a bargain compared to the other free agent contracts thus far.

Sprinkles: Mariners get some contact

The lineup currently has a lot of swing-and-miss with Julio Rodriguez, Teoscar Hernandez, Eugenio Suarez, and Cal Raleigh. There is a need for more contact, even if it is off the bench. I’d make a prospect-for-prospect trade with the Rays, who currently have a bunch of expendable middle infielders (Brujan, Mead, Walls).

I’d leverage a longstanding relationship (12 previous trades) and call our old friends in Tampa Bay and ask if they’d be willing to part with Vidal Brujan. He’s mashed in the minors last year accumulating a slash line of .292/.369/.440. He also excels at making contact (9.6 BB% – 16.7 k%). With all of that success, he’s lost his prospect shine because of struggles at MLB level over the past two seasons.

The best part of his game and this roster is the versatility to play all around the diamond and provide plus speed off the bench. The Mariners could start Brujan in Tacoma to get the CTZ approach down pat and possibly bring him up later in the year. Or he may beat out fan favorite Sam Haggerty out of Spring Training and provide switch-hitting versatility with a little more upside off the bench to compliment veteran Dylan Moore.

Sure it’s not the ‘cake’ we all envisioned when this hot stove season began. That concoction included one of the four superstar shortstops, an on-base machine who plays the outfield, and possibly some bullpen help. But this one might suffice, especially if the icing pans out.