Could Mariners be in a good position as Blake Snell's free agency draws into Spring Training?
Spring training is here! Pitchers and catchers are reporting. Could the Mariners be in a good position as Blake Snell's free agency draws into Spring Training?
The Super Bowl is over! Congrats to the Kanas City Chiefs. MLB Spring training is here. However, some big names remained unsigned. Washington native and two-time Cy Young Winner, Blake Snell is still on the market. Blake Snell wants to be a Seattle Mariner. Who could complain about adding a Cy Young winning pitcher to the staff? Snell wants to win and could mentor the younger Mariners pitchers.
The Baltimore Orioles were just hit with some hard news about Kyle Bradish. As unfortunate as it is, the Orioles now need starting pitching. The Mariners, along with the Orioles, operate on limited budgets. However, the Mariners have the greater capacity to get Blake Snell over the Orioles. Signing Snell would allow the Mariners to block the Orioles off signing a Cy Young type starter and force them into trading for pitching.
The Mariners could benefit from a two-pronged move with Blake Snell
The Mariners could dangle Bryan Woo in a trade to the Orioles. Signing Snell would allow the Mariners to fill Woo's spot in the rotation and slot him behind Luis Castillo and George Kirby. Snell would have pressure taken off him as he has two end starters in front of him but he is also pitching half of his games in his native Washington. The Mariners could also dangle Bryce Miller instead of Woo to Baltimore.
The Mariners and Orioles fit as trade partners, and after Baltimore's latest news, it has become more concrete. Trading with Baltimore makes sense. The Orioles have a power-hitting outfielder and a prospect to trade to make a deal with Seattle work. Coby Mayo and Anthony Santander would be coming from Baltimore in exchange for Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo. The Mariners would have to include a little more, a prospect or two in the 20-30 range.
The Orioles would attain a young starter they can control along with Greyson Rodriguez and still shoot for the AL East title. The Mariners would fill Woo's spot with Blake Snell and pick up a third baseman in Coby Mayo who could be a keystone for the Mariners for years to come. Santander helps the team in the short term as the Mariners are ready to compete now.