Red Sox insider lists Mariners starter as possible top trade target for Boston

Could the band be breaking up? The Seattle Mariners' 2024 season was ultimately disappointing, but one thing they are able to hang their hat on is having one of the top starting rotations in Major League Baseball.

They were tied with the Atlanta Braves for the best overall ERA (3.49) and led all of baseball with a 1.08 WHIP. Four of their arms also recorded 170-plus strikeouts, but it was still not enough to drag the rest of the team into the postseason.

It was a monumental campaign for the M's pitching staff, but each guy staying in Seattle may be short-lived. As the offseason rumors, signings and trades begin to heat up, some experts think that the Mariners will be without one of their starting pitchers going into 2025.

Mariners Rumors: Could Red Sox target Seattle starter via trade?

One Red Sox insider, Christopher Smith of MassLive, has laid out an interesting trade that would send right-hander Bryan Woo to Boston in an attempt to bolster a starting rotation that needs some help. It has become pretty clear that the Red Sox are searching for another starter, so coming to an agreement with Seattle may in fact work for both sides.

Woo, 24, posted a 2.89 ERA in 22 starts last season with a sub-1.00 WHIP, so that means his trade value is high. Smith thinks that swapping Woo for one of Triston Casas or Jarren Duran would make both sides happy. The Mariners' poor offense was the main reason they were left out of the postseason, so one of these bats would be a guarantee to boost the lineup.

Duran, the 2024 All-Star Game MVP, collected 83 extra-base hits and 34 stolen bases this past season as Boston's center fielder. Casas, a first baseman, missed most of the season with a rib injury, but has been one of Boston's top hitting prospects for a few years and has proven his ability to hit for power at the MLB level.

Trading Woo for either of these players does not seem far-fetched. Although Jerry Dipoto mentioned towards the end of the regular season that he has no interest in trading one of the Mariners' starters, he has since walked that back, becoming open to any trade. Dipoto's interest may be piqued if he could land either a young and promising first baseman, which they desperately need, or a proven (and still youthful) All-Star outfielder.

One thing is clear for the Mariners this winter: They need to make some moves. It is not easy to separate the successful starting rotation they have built, but the offense has been awful enough to justify spinning a deal that would include sending away one of their prized arms.