The Mariners could win the Winter Meetings with this Blockbuster trade

The Mariners came into this offseason with a need in a corner outfield spot, a regular, everyday DH and maybe another solid 3B/2B to push Josh Rojas into a sort of utility infielder role. How have things changed since then? Well, the Mariners have traded Eugenio Suarez creating another hole at third base, as well as trading Jarred Kelenic, creating another hole in a corner outfield spot.

The Mariners have shed some salary and it's expected that they have anywhere from about $20 million upwards of approximately $45 million. If I was a betting man, I think it is closer to that lower number. The payroll sits around $110-$111 million and I don't expect that we see a payroll over $140 million dollars after some of the reports that I have seen.

We all know Jerry Dipoto likes to make trades, being one of the most active GMs in all of baseball. When you are hamstrung by ownership with ridiculous budgets, that is what you have to resort to, to be able to afford building a solid contender. We also know that the Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays have had some discussions about a few different players, so how about the Mariners address a few of their needs with the Tampa Bay Rays via the trade. If something like this trade were to happen, the Mariners may have just won the MLB Winter Meetings.

As things stand, the Mariners have a need in both corner outfield spots, a DH and a third baseman. That is 4 positions to fill and that can get expensive very fast. The Rays are looking to shed some of their salary as they currently sit around $125 million, which is incredibly high for their average which usually sits around $75-$85 million.

What if the Mariners were to acquire Randy Arozarena, Luke Raley or Harold Ramirez and Brandon Lowe?

This would be a massive haul! Could the Mariners pull this off for Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo? I think it's a lot more possible than you might think.

On the Rays side of things, the Rays are looking to shed salary, and this could save the Rays upwards of $20 million dollars. They are actively trying to trade Arozarena, Lowe is getting pretty expensive, while being hurt quite a bit, and Ramirez is due just over $4 million in arbitration this year. Raley is a little cheaper as he is in his first year of pre-arb, but is older, so that is an interesting debate.

For the Mariners, I would think that they might have to include another prospect or 2. Maybe they include Jonatan Clase or Cade Marlowe and a low-level prospect. Either way, I think this trade makes the Seattle Mariners a much better team. This trade would address the corner outfield position (Randy Arozarena), the 3B position (Brandon Lowe plays 2B, with Urias/Rojas platooning at 3B), and Luke Raley or Harold Ramirez become your DH/OF. This leaves you needing one more corner outfield bat with a total payroll around $131 million approximately.

This might be a pipe dream, especially after Dipoto stated that the odds they trade a starting pitcher have grown mores slim. Trades are typically the way that Dipoto operates and it's not very often you can address 3 needs in one move, but maybe this is it!

The Mariners are dedicated to winning, and you can be, too, with a chance to win big predicting one victory at FanDuel! All you have to do is sign up, deposit $10 or more and bet $5 or more on ANY team to win any game, even if they're a massive favorite. If your team wins, you'll win $150 in bonus bets. Sign up with FanDuel today!