SODO MOJO
FanSided

Baking the Cake: An Adjusted Mariners Offseason Plan

By Trevor Pedro

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 23: Seattle Mariners majority owner John Stanton, left, talks with Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto before the game at Safeco Field on September 23, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Cleveland Indians beat the Seattle Mariners 11-4. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 23: Seattle Mariners majority owner John Stanton, left, talks with Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto before the game at Safeco Field on September 23, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Cleveland Indians beat the Seattle Mariners 11-4. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Mariners Chris Flexen
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 27: Chris Flexen #77 of the Seattle Mariners reacts during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on September 27, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

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.

Home/Mariners News