Does Blake Snell spell Trevor Bauer? No, but it could spell a Cy Young winner for the Mariners if they sign him

Trevor Bauer, in any other market, would be a hot commodity as a former Cy Young winner. With Japanese aces Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shōta Imanaga dominating the the US starting pitching market, preventing Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery from signing big deals. The starting pitching market has suffered. Outside of Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani has put a massive freeze on all free agent signings. Teams are looking to build their rosters but are held up by one of the most impactful free agent signing in modern history.

The Mariners have built their club around defense and pitching. Led by Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert, the Seattle Mariners have a staff any MLB team would dream of. On top of the 3 studs, the Mariners have some young studs that are up and coming in with Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, and former first round pick Emerson Hancock rounding out the staff. Former Cy Young winner LHP Robbie Ray (slated to come back at the All-Star break) will boost the club.

Robbie Ray, will most likely be on an innings limit when he comes back but he figures in as he can eat some innings and potentially, the key word being "potentially". Capable of providing Cy Young type pitching down the stretch. Ray provides stability in the Mariners starting pitching staff. A staff that features RHPs in Castillo, Kirby, Gilbert, Woo, Miller, and Hancock, Ray provides an LHP balance for the staff. Getting a former Cy Young winner back around the trade deadline could have huge implications.

Let's face it, Trevor Bauer is on the MLB bad boy list. Teams are afraid to sign Bauer based on his off-the-field issues, which seem to have been resolved. Bauer is looking to make a return to an MLB field. After a successful season in Japan, along with a proven track record in the MLB, Bauer should have plenty of suitors.

The Seattle Mariners have a lot of holes to fill. Trevor Bauer might not even be interested in signing with the team. However, the Mariners signing Bauer allows the team to trade from a position of depth. Bauer not only gives the staff an ace, Bauer fills the starter role of a Woo or Miller trade if they are traded. The Mariners could fill their stable of aces by signing Trevor Bauer and trading for bats,