Will the #Marineres Make a MAJOR Infield Shakeup w/ Jon Morosi | #SeattleSports

Will the #Marineres Make a MAJOR Infield Shakeup w/ Jon Morosi | #SeattleSports

the meetings are coming up. What What do you Do you expect a lot of action before then? During that time uh during the winter meetings, we’re seeing some deals happen, but no huge names yet to this point. Um as it pertains to the Mariners, we’re seeing rumors certainly about Catel Marte, Brendan Donovan, um you know, a couple couple different names, all infielders, obviously that’s where the holes are. What do you what do you think the reality of any of those deals are? So I think big picture we have seen a lot of trades uh that to this point in time here on the 3rd of December it has been a tradeheavy early phase of the off season and then the bullpen market has moved free agency wise Devin Williams obviously today reportedly Ailio Pagan uh we’re still waiting for Edwin Diaz we did of course see the Blue Jays make two significant signings Dylan CE and then more recently Cody Pon coming back over from from Korea. So I think there are certain teams in certain areas of the marketplace, but we have not seen with the exception of Josh Naylor a significant bat that has signed. Honestly, by the Mariners signing Naylor, they’ve done more to address their offense than just about every other team in baseball to this to this point. So if they’re looking around their competition, they’re actually doing pretty well. And and I think as as we’ve um discussed a bit before, Donovan is a great fit. I I do think the Cardinals will move him probably sooner rather than later. I I’m not I’m not sure he’ll go to Seattle, but I would say that in the next 15 days or so, I think he’ll be playing somewhere else and very possibly by sometime during the winter meetings because for the Cardinals, it sort of advantages them to to make that move, especially there’s we’ve heard Contraras’s name out there a little bit as well. Um it feels to me like that could be a winter meetings trade for the Cardinals. They’ve already traded Sunny Gay. Um they’ve got a lot of players to move high and bloom in his first off seasonason as the Cardinal president of baseball operations. So I think they really want to they want to make that deal happen and they have enough interest out there in the industry that it I believe will happen. Catel Marte is somewhat similar. The Diamondbacks I think they have become increasingly open-minded to the possibility of trading him. U there were obviously some internal chemistry issues that went on uh this past year there with the Diamondbacks. I personally would would be less worried about acquiring him because if I’m if I’m with a team that has a very wellestablished culture like the Mariners do, like the Blue Jays do, a handful of other teams that have really strong identities already formed, you can bring in a player that may that may have had a bit of a difficult history somewhere else just w with the relationships in the clubhouse because your culture will override, I believe, whatever smaller issues had existed. So, I I think that Marte is is a player that could move as well. I’m not quite as confident in that trade as I am that Donovan will move. Uh but I do think the Mariners will at some point in the next couple weeks add one more infielder and then potentially allow the rest of the group to to be competitive among those young players that we’ve talked about before. JP, um Julio Rodriguez was it was just a a roller coaster ride kind of with him and and it typically is and it usually works out right. It seems like every year at the end of the year, um, do you do you remember a a comp or a player like that? Do you I mean, and and also do you think that that’s just who he is and that it’s probably never going to change or do you think he’s going to be able to sort of level things out? Yeah, that’s a great question. I know certainly David Ortiz would have some some slower starts at times and then really pick it up. He is someone that that comes to mind and obviously he wound up in the Hall of Fame. Um, but I think for Julio, what I’ll say is this. He is he is now, you know, for a lot of our conversations on on this show in recent years, we have talked about how young he is, how young he still is. He still is a pretty young player, but he’s he’s now a veteran. He he’s a young veteran, if you want to call him that. And so, I think any any anything sort of tied to his age as a way of explaining the inconsistency, I think, is starting to ring a little hollow. The good news is from what I can tell that the time that he spent around the All-Star break that that people that know him and are close to him, I had somebody in the playoffs tell me, you know, John, what what he did at the All-Star break, kind of getting away from things, not going to the All-Star game, sort of removing himself from the drama of the day-to-day of the baseball season to reenter himself was really important for him from a mental standpoint. And and I think that he learned some things through that process that I believe will carry over and endure. I think a lot of for a lot of super talented players, and he is one, I think those early 20s, those years that you go through, I think in some ways are are the process of of finding the person and the player that you’re going to be and how you make your peace with the fame and how you can internalize that and make it work for you and not against you. I think this year was was a time that he really did that. It’s just it’s rare that a player is this talented this early and and has just an absolutely normal ascent. Even even someone as accomplished and and calm as Derek Jeter, there was friction between George Steinbrunner and Jeter at different points in his in his 20s. And again, he settled in quite nicely. So, I think that’s what we saw Julio do. And I’m I’m, you know, at the risk of of making a firm prediction. I I think that the changes he made in his mental routine and his focus level at the All-Star break are sustainable. He was a different player in the second half. He had, I think, a tremendous run in the postseason as well. And it was interesting, too, to hear him talk. It was before game seven actually in Toronto. I think we may have touched on this too. He was asked about how much he enjoys anime, Japanese animation. and he went on this like long answer about how how much he enjoys it, how it gives him something to take his mind off of baseball. Listen, we’ve all been around sports a long time. You know, if if if anime is your vice that you do that you use to take away the focus of baseball, you’re doing pretty good. Okay, Julio, you don’t change a thing, my friend. And really, that’s that is to his credit. That’s a mature choice. There have been a lot of less laudable vices chosen by athletes in the history of sports. Okay, that anime statement fully support I I’m in a house with kids that love anime. I fully support Julio’s choice of anime. I told the kids I said, “Hey girls, Julio loves, you know, number 44, the Mariners, he loves anime, too.” Like, they thought that was the coolest thing ever. So, I I think in a lot of ways um that that is uh while it may have the reputation of being something that kids enjoy, it was actually a really mature focus for him to describe. And I thought it was just a a beautiful reflection. and he was talking about that before game seven. So, I I thought that was just a a great human moment from Julio. Hey, we we were talking earlier about the the openings on the infield for the Mariners. I was saying, “Well, you got your first baseman, you got your shorts stop, you don’t know who your second or third baseman is going to be. You’ve got candidates, but we don’t know who they’re going to be.” And then we had somebody text in saying, “Well, why are you saying they have their shorts stop? JP hasn’t been great there.” And I can’t say they’re wrong. He’s not a great He’s made some great plays. He doesn’t have great range. I wouldn’t call him a great shortstop. Should they be looking to improve upon that spot? Is he a guy you’d go you’d feel comfortable saying that’s our shorts stop going into the season or do you think it’s time for them to start looking at it and going, “Hey, we we can do better there.” How do how do you view that spot in JP Crawford? That is a very interesting question, Bob, and one that I was I was thinking about today as as we’re getting ready to have this conversation. I said, “You know what? I bet you Bob or Dave is going to ask me about JP Crawford. I just and this is not like Mike did not tip me off on this. I didn’t tell Mike I was going to ask that. A texture brought it up. We have we have arrived at the at the JP Crawford portion of of our offseason conversations. Uh here’s a couple thoughts. I think it’s a really timely question because there are players out there and Bo Bashette is one of them to where the the market is in such a way that that you might be able to get Bo um and and it I’m not going to call it a discount but at a at a rate that makes sense uh for the Seattle Mariners. And and what I would say is it would be a tricky thing because JP is a really important person in the clubhouse, right? So if you bring in Bo Bashette, someone who who has had questions about his defense, um certainly a great bat, we know that. I mean, offensively, he would really fit this lineup exceptionally well. I mean, I’m not going to there’s no sense in in sort of trying to diminish that. He would be a perfect fit for this team. And if he’s willing to play second base, which we don’t really know yet, uh if he’s willing to play that on a full-time basis, he’d be really great for this team because then you wouldn’t have to trade JP Crawford. You could just have Bo play second and then maybe it’s JP and a and a combination of younger players. The the thing though is if you bring in Bo Bashette and the idea is that he’s going to be a shortstop, you then have to say, am I moving JP Crawford to to a different position or am I trading him? And the reality is there are not a ton of teams that are looking for an everyday shortstop clearly. Obviously right now the Tigers are you could argue it. They don’t really have a lot of certainty there. They they might have room but that’s a kind of a difficult fit. I think um the Braves nominally they brought in Dubon. They may just play him there but they could theoretically add another shortstop. I think that the the fact that Bashette has not signed yet, I think is somewhat related to this reality that it’s not a a a super optimal time to be a free agent shortstop. Now, for that reason, the Mariners could actually capitalize capitalize on that and say, “Wait a minute, we can get Bo at a kind of a good time without a whole ton of other competition.” Again, unless unless the Yankees want to sign him and and then sign him over Vulpi and then they’ve got to make their own decision. The point is that a lot of teams like him, but but they may have questions about defense and they may they may have an incumbent short stop that they’re that they’re then going to look around and say, “Wait a minute, where can I trade this guy?” And the answer is not many places want a shortstop right now. So it would not I’ll say this. It would not surprise me it would not surprise me if the Mariners have carefully done their homework on this to figure out okay what would JP’s trademark it be just to kind of gauge that so they know and then kind of play off the the the Bett thing uh with that. My my my suspicion here is that there’s not a ton of teams that would take JP at that full price tag right now, right? And that that might hold the Mariners back a little bit of being of being a little too aggressive to to bring in Bette unless he is really comfortable playing second base now. And look, there’s a lot of reasons why you’d want to play for Seattle right now. He’s a perfect fit there. Fits the lineup really well. uh team that’s going to win. But also, the Mariners are are they’re a little bit reluctant to jam up too many positions because they believe that Young can play in the big league soon. They believe that Emerson can play in the big leagues soon. Obviously, they’ve got Williamson over at third base. So, you’re asking the right question at the right time. And I think that the Mariners do like Bette. I do. But the fit is a little bit tricky unless you believe there’s a spot that you can trade JP. And and I’m just here to say that I’m I’m just not sure that there would be a healthy market for him just because of the money that he’s making relative to what the other comparables are on the market. But I I think it is a fascinating topic and the Mariners, they’re kind of they’re a little bit wedged in there, I think, uh by that conversation because I think they probably could upgrade at shortstop. They really could, but JP’s a popular guy in the clubhouse and the contract is not easy to move. So, I think the internal dynamics of the team would make it kind of challenging to make that trade right now. Is there a formula that you that you notice with the Mariners as far as their bullpen goes that they they they kind of like Justin Topa or Pen Murphy? I mean, it just seems like, you know, we always uh sort of compare that to like offensive line the in in the NFL. It’s like it’s very rare that you get, you know, all five guys that are solid and you can you can really count on. But the the Mariners seem to to kind of do that. What what stands out because over the last few years it’s been and it seems like it goes back and forth with other teams, but they’ve been consistently pretty good with their their bullpen. What What is What is the formula? Well, I think that they’ve done a really good job of bringing in guys that have a couple of different things. Number one, that they they spin the ball well. They they have a lot of guys that do that. Munoz obviously is a is a prime example of that. Just what he’s able to to do and do very well. Spire, same thing, right? He’s someone else that does a very good job of that. Um, and so you you look at pitch characteristics that you like and you bring in those guys and then you maybe make a little subtle tweak. Hey, let’s let’s either maybe work on a kick change up or or changing the tilt on your slider or using fast balls in a different way, whether it’s up or up or down in the zone. Um, so you have your the like the raw materials that you know that you like and that you that your pro scouting staff does a good job of identifying and then you you move from there. It’s whether it’s you someone like like Bazardo or others that you’ve brought in that that you’ve had success because you liked the scouting reports and the characteristics. You’re not going to hit on every one, but the idea is that if you bring in enough pitchers who have the kind of tools that you like to work with, you can usually fashion that pitcher into someone that really works well in your bullpen. And I I’m also a big believer, too, and I think you could tell the Mariners adhere to this philosophy as well, of different looks. You should not have an entire bullpen that all throws the same way, same pitches. We want maybe a maybe a fourseam guy, maybe a two seam guy, maybe a maybe one guy’s a more of a a power curveball guy, one guy’s more of a slider guy, cutter guy. You kind of mix it around so that way, and we we talked about this so much, right, during the course of the ALCS and even the ALDS of not wanting to have particular guys getting the same look at the same pitcher over and over and over again. You want to have different looks so that way again Carrie Carpenter doesn’t see the same reliever over and over again, right? And and that the idea there is having relievers with different looks. And I think that’s something the Mariners I think they had a pretty good setup this year. Obviously not optimal. Uh but that’s something that I think that they’re they’re still looking to do and maybe add one more late ining guy. Uh you know, Peter Fairbbranks is out there and available now. Ailio Pagan as we mentioned just signed. But that I think that’s a part of their club that they you almost always if you’re a good team will want to add additional believers. The Dodgers do it that way. The Blue Jays I’m sure will do the same thing. The Mets, they just added Devin Williams. Uh so I I do think the Mariners will be a team that that look to add one more high impact late in guy because when you have the same relievers over and over again and they go on a deep October run, it’s it’s asking a lot to to expect the same group to perform at the same level. the following season. Hey, have you heard any anything any rumblings about Mirakami or Okamoto teams that maybe they’re leaning towards or teams that are maybe particularly aggressive in in and going after them? What any anything bubbling since we last spoke about them? Yeah. Well, interestingly, I think that the the Tigers, I know we talked about them before as being a potential fit. I think less so because they did have Glabber Torres come back and accept the qualifying offer. So I think that has now sort of eaten up a lot of their budget with regard to that. Uh that I know the topic dour are the Pirates really going to sign someone and I I do think that they may be willing to to step outside of their comfort zone to bring in one of them because they do need offense u so clearly. So I I would say that that that could be a fit for either them. I I’ve I’ve said before I think the the Mariners and again they may be a little bit wary of blocking Williamson but you’ve got to feel if you’re the Mariners you have to feel really confident that if you’re going to bring in one of them either Okamoto or Murakami Okamoto the better defensive player he also strikes out less doesn’t have doesn’t have the same power that Murakami does. He may be the sureer thing. I would think Okamoto is a little bit of a better fit than Murakami because he’s older, so it’s going to be a shorter term deal. Uh, a little more confident in his defensive ability and and I think he’d be a really great fit for this team. I I really do. I think that that he would be an excellent fit to bring in. The other possibility, uh, when we talk about Tatsuya on the on the starting pitching front, there’s nothing stopping the Mariners from from signing him and then trading a starter for a bat. And a lot of teams need starting pitching. And if you bring in Merk, if you bring in EI to to basically take the place of one of your starters, you could then potentially use some depth to trade from that and bring back a bat that way. So, lot of possibilities. Uh we know this Jerry Dotto and Justin Holler, they’re always going to be very active. Uh but that’s those are a couple things. I wonder if they play a little bit that three-dimensional chess there and bring in a starter, trade a starter, and and satisfy their need for a bat that way. Do do you expect uh I know again the meetings are coming up but do you expect teams like the Pirates maybe like uh the Rays the A’s traditionally low spending teams to get aggressive before a potential work stoppage? I do uh and the Pirates we know are trying the Marlins I was told they’re in the mix on on Peter Fairbanks. Again the it was telling though that I I was told they’re in there on Fairbanks. I was not hearing that they’re going to sign Edwin Diaz. Okay. At a very different price point. Uh the the Pirates might try for Schwarber. I I tend to doubt he’s going to sign there. Trying to sign and actually signing. They’re very two two very different things. And it can sometimes take you multiple off seasons of of finishing second before you really start landing the big guy that you need unless you’re really going to overpay. So I I I do think that the that the willingness to spend is real on the part of a lot of those middle market to smaller market teams. Um, that being said, I I don’t think the Brewers are going to get out of their comfort zone. The Reds, Schwarber would be a great fit because he’s from the area and and that might be one exception. Uh, but I I I don’t see, let’s put it this way, I don’t see Kyle Tucker as a Marlin. I don’t see I don’t see Kyle Schwarber as a Ray. They have maybe been a bit more of the conversation and that’s good. it’s what the game we should see that but but actually landing the big guys is a very different part of the conversation and so I I don’t think that we’re going to see a Ranger Suarez or Fran Valdez uh going to a team that is not a an obvious contender at this juncture. John, you’re the best, man. We appreciate you. Look forward to it each and every week and uh have a great rest of your week and looking forward to next week after the uh the meetings. Oh, I I can’t wait. I’ll I’ll be

Jon Morosi of MLB Network joins Bob Stelton and Dave Wyman (Wyman & Bob) ahead of the winter meetings to discuss the reality behind M’s trade rumors, what the infield could look like in 2026, and what teams might be getting aggre$$ive before a potential work stoppage.

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0:00 – Reality behind rumors for Mariners targets
3:00 – Julio Rodríguez slow vs hot starts
6:55 – Mariners infield in 2026
7:55 – J.P. Crawford vs Bo Bichette?
12:15 – What’s behind the Mariners bullpen success
15:25 – Japanese players coming to MLB
17:35 – MLB teams to get aggressive before work stoppage

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Listen to The Wyman & Bob Show weekdays from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. live on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports App, or on-demand wherever you listen to podcasts.
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