3 sneaky trade options for the Mariners at third base with Matt Chapman off the board

The Mariners have been hesitant to go the trade route this off-season with respect to their starting pitching and top prospects. They could decide to go for it now that Luis Urias is expected to miss time with an injury. There are several possible third base candidates for Seattle to consider if they want to add a third baseman. However, the M's are likely going to need to give up more than already have to acquire the players they added this off-season via trade.

For Seattle, they do not have to go the trade route if they feel their team can handle the injury to Urias with what they currently have on the roster. The Mariners have added two other possible third basemen to the Spring Training camp in Michael Chavis and Brian Anderson. Each of them could fill in for the time being with Luis Urias out. The Mariners also still have Dylan Moore who can play third and if necessary they could move Jorge Polanco over to third, with Rojas, Moore, or Haggerty at second.

Trading for another third baseman would provide stability at the position as opposed to relying on a platoon for the position. The Mariners do not seem to be urgently seeking out solutions for the position though, having missed an opportunity to sign free agent third baseman Matt Chapman. He recently just signed for 3yrs/$54 million with the San Francisco Giants. The extent of Luis Urias' injury might determine what the Mariners decide to do about finding a third baseman.

Josh Rojas has played well at third base during Spring Training. The question is can he play everyday and is there a need to find a right-handed bat who can platoon with him while Urias is out? With the Mariners and Jerry Dipoto, anything can happen between now and Opening Day. Seattle's front office will certainly be keeping an eye on third base during Spring Training and seek trade options if necessary. Here are three sneaky trade possibilities for the Mariners at third base:

Marlins third baseman Jake Burger

Another possibility for the Mariners as far as trades would be to make a deal with Miami for third baseman Jake Burger. The Marlins recently acquired Burger from the White Sox in 2023, and he hit well for them at the end of the season. Slashing .385/.440/.593 with four homers, and 17 RBI in 25 games at the Marlins Loan Depot Park. Which shows Burger is capable of hitting in pitcher-friendly ballparks. With the Marlins stocked with pitching, perhaps the Mariners could swing a deal with Miami without giving up young pitching.

The Mariners would still probably have to give up a few of their young prospects to make this deal. Such as catcher Harry Ford, infielder Cole Young, or outfielder Lazaro Montes. Jake Burger would provide the Mariners with a long-term solution at third base. He is not arbitration-eligible until 2026 and has club control through 2028. The question is would Miami consider giving up a possible franchise third baseman after just acquiring him at last year's trade deadline?

At the time, acquiring Burger was a priority for the Marlins who were in contention for a Wild Card spot and they were in need of offense. The Marlins did not give up much to acquire Burger, as they sent only a young starting pitcher in Jake Eder to complete the deal. Unfortunately, for the Mariners, unlike the Orioles who have lots of depth in the infield, the Marlins do not. This means making a trade for Jake Burger could be harder to pull off.

Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes

Finally, one last trade option for the Mariners could be to make a deal with the Rays who have too many infielders and want starting pitching. The Mariners could decide to make a deal for Isaac Paredes who they had shown interest in earlier this off-season. Seattle's reluctance to want to give up starting pitching could hinder them from making this deal. The Mariners already approached the Rays about a trade early this year which involved Isaac Paredes and Randy Arozarena, balking at Tampa's steep asking price.

Paredes is a good young third baseman who had a .250/.352/.488 slash line, with 31 HR and 98 RBI in 2023. Trading for Paredes as a stand alone in a trade might not require as much prospect or young pitching capital, as a deal for both Paredes and Arozarena would. Still, trading for Paredes is going to be no easy feat considering the years of club control and team friendly nature of his contract. Paredes just became arbitration-eligible following the 2023 season, with club control through the 2027 season.

Another complication of a Paredes deal is the lack of consistent production in his career in Tampa. Paredes' best season was 2023, but overall, he is a career .229 hitter with a .764 OPS. This is probably why the Mariners opted not to meet the Rays asking price for him when they had discussions with the Rays earlier this winter. Regardless, Paredes is still an option for the Mariners to consider if they are concerned about adding a full-time starter at third base.

Weighing the Mariners options at third base

The Mariners will need to figure out what to do at third base with Luis Urias injured. Deciding to make another trade to find a consistent starter at third base is an option. However, unless they add another starting pitcher such as Blake Snell, making a trade might be difficult. Teams certainly have been coveting the Mariners' young starting pitching and those pitchers (Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller) are going to be what teams are looking for. Seattle could cave to the pressure of finding a third base solution via trade or decide to just ride out the start of the season with who they have.

Blake Snell is still a free agent, but teams such as the Giants, Angels, and Yankees have shown interest in him. Signing Snell would allow the Mariners to trade for a third baseman with a young starting pitcher. The Mariners' front office has said they do not like the idea of trading from their group of young coveted starting pitchers. Instead, this off-season they have traded mostly veteran starting pitchers, relievers, major league infielders, and prospect outfielders to fill positions of need.

Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo have shown just how talented they can be and they have not yet reached their full potential. Adding Blake Snell appears to be one of the few ways in which the Mariners would be willing to give up Miller or Woo for a good third baseman. The other option would be to give up top prospects and a young starting pitcher for a third baseman such as Jake Burger and ask for LHP Jesus Luzardo as well.

Hopefully, Urias will work his way back to being able to play third base for the Mariners and will not have to miss too much time. Trying to find a replacement for him is complicated, but still a possibility. Thankfully, the Mariners already have Josh Rojas, along with Brian Anderson, and Michael Chavis in Spring Training camp who can play third. The Mariners have done a good job historically of finding third baseman. They will do what they can to address the position before the season starts.