1 Mariners trade Jerry Dipoto will regret and 2 that will be home runs

The last few off seasons, prior to this one, have been extremely similar and have yielded mixed results. The Mariners have gone out and acquired an elite bat, followed up with a move or two that were extremely underwhelming. They have acquired Jesse Winker and Teoscar Hernandez, guys that were expected to be key cogs in the lineup. The underwhelming list includes names like Tommy La Stella, Cooper Hummel, and Adam Frazier. The Mariners have repeatedly been one or two moves short of really having a solid off season.

This offseason has been another active one for Dipoto, but in a very different fashion. After rumors that they were going to be aggressive and have the funds necessary to really acquire some elite talent, there were a couple of salary dumps and news of the Mariners working under a stricter financial budget.

That didn't matter for Dipoto and Hollander. He has gone out and been extremely active and creative in building a competitive team. There is no doubt that Dipoto and Hollander have hit this offseason out of the park, all while not increasing the overall payroll. We will look back at this offseason as one that changed the trajectory of the Mariners. It seemed to be going to back to cheap ownership that wouldn't support a team and city that is ready to win right now, but things look a lot different. With that being said, there is one move that Dipoto might regret and a couple that we will look back on that changed the course of this team.

Dipoto will wish he could take back the trade with the Braves

There are two things I want to bring up about this trade and address. The first thing is that I don't think Dipoto makes this trade without the ownership squeezing his budget before the offseason really began. This move was strictly a salary dump move that saw them get rid of Marco Gonzalez and Evan White's atrocious contracts. To do this, they had to include former top prospect, Jarred Kelenic. I'm sure the Mariners had other opportunities, prior to this offseason, to unload the contracts of both of those two.

The second point I want to bring up is that while you may be thinking that I am of the opinion Dipoto will regret this trade because they had to give up Kelenic, you would be wrong. I think that Kelenic would have been traded this offseason, regardless of the financial restrictions. Kelenic showed a lot of immaturity and seemed to cause some issues in the clubhouse (his immaturity was on display again this offseason).

Dipoto will regret this trade because of Marco Gonzalez. The cost of a number five or six starter right now is pretty expensive, and while Gonazlez was scheduled to make $12M this year, that isn't that crazy considering his dependability and presence in the locker room. The Mariners were able to get rid of what sounded like a bad clubhouse fit in Kelenic (a guy who they were able to replace) but they lost a great veteran leader in Marco Gonzalez (and that replacement looks to be Emerson Hancock, Austin Voth, or maybe Trent Thorton). Those options just don't inspire a lot of confidence in the options after the top five in the rotation.

The Gregory Santos trade will prove to be one of the best trades in Dipotos era

Remember when everyone was mad that the Mariners traded Paul Sewald? Fans were extremely upset at that time, and I totally get it. Sewald was part of a three headed monster that included Andres Munoz and Matt Brash, while he was also a great presence in the locker room.

Dare I say it? I think the bullpen is better heading into 2024 than it was heading into the 2023 season. The addition of Gregory Santos (Check out each strikeout he had in 2023!) lessens the blow of the loss of Sewald (I'm going to say it, I think Santos is better than Sewald in 2024). They also have a lot more solid relievers at the back end of the bullpen with guys like Gabe Speier, Taylor Saucedo, and Trent Thorton. This bullpen still has a three headed monster and could further prove Dipoto and Hollander's elite ability to build a bullpen.

The cost to acquire Santos only cost Prelander Berroa (who's absolute ceiling was Santos with less control), Zach Deloach (who didn't have a spot on this team), and a draft pick (something that the Mariners don't really need during this contention window). The Mariners traded for Munoz and Brash in trades that seemed like they weren't that big of a deal, yet those two have been instrumental in the success of this team. The Santos trade could top that and become one of the best trades in the Dipoto and Hollander era.