Possible Mariners Solution #2: Isaac Paredes
Paredes was so good in 2023 and fits the CTZ mold that Dipoto has identified as the main improvement that he wants to make for the 2024 club. He slashed .250/.352/.488, good for a 137 wRC+ and a 4.3 fWAR. As I said, Paredes was a true CTZ guy with a strikeout rate of just 18.2% and a walk rate of 10.2%, both are above league average. Maybe even more impressively, he hit 31 home runs, a combination the Mariners would love.
Paredes would be a very expensive bat to acquire as he will enter 2024 with Super 2 status and get an extra year of arbitration eligibility, estimating a salary of $4.1 million. He is under control through 2027, giving you a long-term answer at third base. Acquiring Paredes would not come cheap at all. Most likely, he would require Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo as well as a top prospect like Cole Young or Harry Ford and maybe even another top 10 prospect or 2. Or, and I am against this idea, trade Logan Gilbert for Paredes and another piece or 2.