Grading all 12 trades the Mariners and Jerry Dipoto made during the 2023-24 offseason

While the offseason started slow for the Seattle Mariners, i was surprised at the actual number of trades the front office managed to pull off. 12! I would have guessed less than 12, which was a bit of a shock. Some trades were small, blink-and-you-missed-it types, and some were franchise-altering moves. Were they all good trades? No. But is the team now better in 2024 than they were in 2023? I think so. Today, I will grade all of the trades made this offseason, going in order of oldest to the most recent.

1. 11/2/2023 - Mariners trade cash considerations to the Pittsburgh Pirates for RHP Cody Bolton.

Okay, I know this trade is not going to move the needle too much for most Mariners fans. Cody Bolton has struggled in his short stint in the Majors so far in his career, pitching to a 6.33 ERA and a 2.10 WHIP in just 21,1innings. His 6.3 walks per 9 innings is worrisome, but he does have the tools to become a good reliever. You can read more about him here. Overall, I think this trade is good. A toolsy reliever for some cash. Low risk, maybe high reward? Overall, I give this trade a solid B.

2. 11/3/2023 - Mariners send RHP Riley O'Brien to the St. Louis Cardinals for Cash Considerations

This trade was about as small as they come, and most Mariners fans may not even know who Riley O'Brien is. He pitched just 1 inning for the Mariners in 2023 before being sent back down to Tacoma. He struck out a ton of batters in Tacoma last year, 14.1 batters per 9 innings. He walks guys too much (5.1 batters per innings), and he was moved to clear a roster spot. Should he stop walking people, O'Brien has a chance to be a good reliever in The Show. I give this trade a B, just because the roster spot may be worth more than what O'Brien can provide at this time.

3. 11/6/2023 - Mariners trade catching prospect Tatem Levins to the Tampa Bay Rays for catching prospect Blake Hunt.

This trade flew under the radar for most Mariners fans, and that is understandable. Blake Hunt needed to be added to the 40-man roster for the Rays, or he would have been subject to the Rule 5 draft in December, where he was sure to be taken by another team. Hunt has not appeared in the Majors yet in his career, but he is viewed as a Major League ready catcher. Between AA and AAA in 2023, he hit .256/.331/.484/.815 with 12 home runs in 246 at-bats.

He is not a top 100 prospect, and may not even be a top 30 prospect for the Mariners entering this year. But he will help the organization's catching depth, and will surely make his MLB debut this season. Cal Raleigh and Seby Zavala occupy the 26-man roster spots for now, but a strong showing from Hunt in spring training may force the Mariners to add him to the roster. If not, He will be the starting catcher in Tacoma and wait for an injury/poor performance from Zavala. I grade this trade a B+.