3 Potential Trade Targets for the Mariners This Off-Season

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The 2024 Mariners lineup will hopefully look a lot deeper than it did in game 161 of the 2023 season. In the most important game of the season, the Mariners 6-9 guys were as follows: Dylan Moore, Ty France, Josh Rojas, and Sam Haggerty. That is not a lineup that can compete for a World Series, and ultimately that is why the Mariners failed to even make the playoffs in 2023. Below, I will give 3 options to trade for to help this team get even better.

1. Pete Alonso, 1B (New York Mets)

Pete Alonso could seriously be available this WInter. His contract is up at the end of the 2024 season, and the New York Mets are a bit of a disaster. Could they compete in 2023? Sure. But the reality is, they cannot compete in their own division with the way the Atlanta Braves and the Philidelphia Phillies any time soon. The Phillies are in back-to-back NLCS appearances, while the Braves won 104 games this last season.

Alonso is one of the best power hitters in the game. His career low in home runs is 37 (not counting 2020's 60-game season). He will be turning 29 this December and is projected to make $22,000,000 in his last year of arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors. In 2023, Pete hit just .217 but hit 46 Home Runs and had 118 RBIs.

There is a fairly good chance that the Mets hang onto Pete, at least until the Trade Deadline. But if there is a team who could send an absolute haul for Alonso, it is the Mariners. A player like Pete Alonso should excite Mariners fans. But, to get him, you will need to part with some prospects, and maybe even some Major League talent. The Mets will not just hand over the face of their franchise, you will have to go get him.

San Diego Padres v Chicago White Sox / Quinn Harris/GettyImages

2. Juan Soto, OF (San Diego Padres)

Next on the list is San Diego Padres star outfielder Juan Soto. Juan Soto is already a 3X All-Star, Home Run Derby Champ, and a World Series winner. Soto will turn just 25 later this month, which blows my mind. It feels like Soto has been in the league forever. His debut came in 2018, and he won the World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. Soto was traded to the Padres at the Trade Deadline back in 2022, and things just have not been working out there.

The Padres lost in the NLCS last year to the Philidelphia Phillies, and the team had huge expectations in 2023. But they never figured it out, and with other players like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts, the Padres need a shake-up. Juan Soto has been rumored to be traded this off-season, mostly because the Padres may not be able to afford him. The Padres have Machado, Tatis, Bogaerts and others locked up long-term, for big money.

Soto is one of the best hitters in the game. He is a career .284 hitter, with a career .421 on base percentage. Soto has walked 640 times in his career and struck out just 577 times. That kind of production would elevate the Mariners lineup in a massive way. He also has tremendous pop, clubbing 35 Home Runs and driving in 109. Just imagine what the lineup could be with J.P. Crawford leading off, Juan Soto batting second, and Julio Rodriguez batting third.

If the Mariners were able to pry Soto away, could they sign him long term? Probably not. Soto has long been rumored that in Free Agency, he could land more than $400,000,000. Until I am proven wrong, the Mariners will not shell that kind of money out. WIth Soto entering his last year of arbitration (at a projected $33,000,000), the prospect cost it would take to land him could be significantly less than the price San Diego paid Washington for his services. Even if he were to leave for Free Agency, His presence could be enough to take the Mariners to the next level.

Philadelphia Phillies v St. Louis Cardinals / Dilip Vishwanat/GettyImages

3. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B (St. Louis Cardinals)

Paul Goldschmidt has been a quiet star in the league for almost all of his career. While he did not repeat his 2022 MVP numbers, Goldy still had a great season. He hit .268, with 25 Home Runs, and drove in 80. He even stole 11 bases last season. Goldy just celebrated his 36th birthday, and he is entering a contract season. He is due to make $22,000,000 in the 2024 season.

The main question here is: "Will the Cardinals even consider moving on from Paul Goldschmidt?" I think they would have to consider it, at least. The Cardinals absolutely struggled in 2023. They had a record of 71-91, good enough for last in the National League Central. The offense was not bad in 2023, but their pitching staff may have been the worst in the league. And moving on from a 36-year-old first baseman entering his contract year while he still has value seems like the right answer.

Like I said, Paul is not 25 years old anymore. Plus, he will cost quite a bit of young talent to acquire. What he brings to the table is stability at the first base position. He is a former MVP, Silver Slugger award winner and a 4 time Gold Glove winner. He has played in at least 151 games every season since 2015 (except for 2020, in a 60 game season). Paul is a plug and play type, and he will absolutely be a welcomed addition to the Mariners lineup.

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