Mariners Trade Proposal: Landing a blockbuster Star from the White Sox

We have hit that time. Trade rumors are bound to run rampant and Mariners fans are some of the best at conjuring up trade proposals to acquire a star player. Dreaming of a lineup featuring some of the best bats to pair with Julio is something they have grown very talented at.

In years past, the Mariners have usually been a team shopping at the bargain bin or selling short-term contracts for more club control (see Paul Sewald trade). This year seems to feel different, however, as the team sits squarely in first place and, despite the offensive struggles, looks like the best team in the AL West.

As reports surface that the White Sox are willing to listen to trade offers for pretty much everyone including Luis Robert Jr., Garrett Crochet and everyone in their bullpen, Dipoto and Hollander need to be picking up the phone immediately. Robert is arguably the best bats available (also with the most control) among the big-time names. Robert provides more overall value than names like Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Pete Alonso, and possibly even Bo Bichette. Today we take a look at a very aggressive trade offer that the Mariners could make to the White Sox to address the offense and the bullpen.

Mariners get aggressive and pull off a blockbuster trade for a big-time bat and solid reliever

The proposed trade, as previously stated, is a very aggressive one. This trade would hurt the Mariners' prospect rankings and maybe even make fans cringe a little bit. Giving up two of your top three prospects is painful, but when you get the talent of Robert, this could be what it takes (especially when you consider Robert's relatively club-friendly deal). Losing Ford and Young is a big blow for the Mariners, and the tertiary piece of Arroyo is another solid prospect who is progressing well.

This gives the Mariners a legit corner outfielder to replace Haniger and Canzone and another solid lefty to add to the bullpen if Speier is set to miss more time. Robert has legit 30-30 potential; though the Mariners might prefer he focus on the bat to keep healthy. Robert adds a legit star to pair with Julio and instantly becomes your second-best (maybe even first with how Julio is hitting) bat in the lineup. Having an outfield of Robert, Julio, and Raley gives you one of the best defensive outfields in the game.

Losing Ford and Young is a big hit, but they are probably still two years away from making a serious impact in the big leagues and the Mariners (given their supposed payroll restrictions,) can't sit around and wait. This is the type of move that a team makes and looks back on in three years and points to a key reason why they won a World Series.

The Mariners should 100% make this proposal to the White Sox, and maybe the ask for a slightly better piece than Perez (maybe Walter Ford?). That shouldn't prevent the Mariners from making this deal because if they have shown anything, it's that they can develop talent with the best of them in baseball. This farm system has gone from one of the worst in baseball to a legit top five bullpen, with even more potential. The Mariners could make this trade and still arguably have two or three top 100 prospects with another couple knocking on the door; that's how good the prospect development has been.

This would be a blockbuster, and likely the only significant trade the Mariners could make at the deadline. But given the club control and the fact that this address two serious needs for the Mariners, this is the type of impactful trade that could propel the Mariners to World Series favorites.