Trade Targets who BEST Fit the #Mariners | #SeattleSports

Trade Targets who BEST Fit the #Mariners | #SeattleSports

All right. Number one is Catel Marte. I just mentioned it, Brock. He’s a good fit. He is. Are you at all concerned with what h what just kind of went off the rails last year? Yeah, of course I am. None of them are perfect. I mean, that’s why they’re available, right? But he is at his core a significantly better version of Jorge Palano. Why do we keep talking about Palano? because he can play second but also has the flexibility to play elsewhere as Cole Young or whomever else kind of moves up into a position of needing more at bats because he can DH helpful because Cal’s going to take that role sometimes but not all the time bec like that flexibility is key. Marte offers it except he can also play short. He can also play the outfield and I would assume he could also play third. I don’t know that, but I would be willing to bet he could just given the skill set and the athleticism. And he’s just a better hitter, right? I mean, like you just look at the baseball reference projections. They project him to have an OPS more than 100 points higher than than Palanco this year. So, if Palano is looking for big money, and by all indications, he is. He’s looking for it. Doesn’t mean he’s going to get it, but he’s looking for it. Hey, which would you rather have? Jorge Palanco back or Catel Marte? And I got to tell you that to me is an easy one. I don’t know exactly what it costs to get him, but I’d rather have Catel Marte in a vacuum. He’s got some money, right? I mean, that that’s the other perspective of why Arizona is trying to unload them is there’s pretty significant money. It is. It’s longer money. You you’d be paying them for I think it’s five or six years instead of two or three. Three really for Palano. But over the next three years, it’s actually no more than you would probably be paying for Palanco. It’s just that it goes longer than that. So I I am very intrigued by that. And if you’re going to go make a move, I think you want to make one that that is a significant difference maker for you that makes it worthwhile. And Marte would be that. Mhm. All right. The next category are the two outfielders. And this is where Lyall wants me to add a third. The two that jump out to me are Jiren Durant and Steven Quan. Lyall wants me to add Byron Buckton. Maybe I should. I got to be honest, Lyall, I just that the injuries I just I couldn’t do it. I just could not give up anything significant knowing how many injuries that guy is dealt. I just couldn’t I just couldn’t do it. And I’m I know he’s a great player. He’s phenomenally talented. I just can’t handle the injuries. I just couldn’t do it. Sorry. You can have him DH a lot of days. That’s my idea. He just DHes. It’s a good idea. Especially with Cal. It’s a good idea. I just I don’t trust him. And I know he’s a really good player and by all accounts a great kid. I just couldn’t trust it. And so Huh. He’s a man. He’s a man. Don’t call him a kid. He’s a man. All right. Well, whatever. Um, Jiren Duran, Steven Quan, shockingly similar in like more ways than I realized when I started looking at this last night. I don’t think of them as being that. Who do you think is older, Jiren Duran or Steven Quan? I think of Duran as older. Do you? I thought of Quan as being older, but it’s Duran who’s a year older. So, you’re right on that one. Um, both are phenomenal outfielders, right? Both have a ton of range. Doesn’t have any arm, though. No, but he can I mean he’s a really good defensive run saved kind of an outfielder. Great field player. Great bat to ball. Tremendous lead off guy. Yeah. And he’s a Kan gets, you know, great bat to ball. Never strikes out. So you would expect that he had this like much better on base percent. No on base percentage is about the same. Duran strikes out more, but he’s also going to hit more doubles and triples and even some home runs. And yeah, I mean he’s also going to run in a way that Quan does not. I I I mean I think both are interesting. If pressed, I think that Durant is more interesting than than Quan is. Um they’re both essentially two years left on their deals. I can I ask you a question here is we’re halfway through these four name eight names. uh your point you brought up to Mike McDonald on Monday because I’m kind of starting to feel a little of these vibes at least with these names and that is when you said to Mike that many times when someone becomes a household name you know maybe have hit their peak or just on the down slide downside and that’s why maybe these guys are also partially available some of it is financial in baseball no more financial yes all right I don’t I don’t look at that the same way in baseball as I do in football at all. No, I don’t compare them at all. Jiren Durant is available because they’ve got three better outfield three really good outfield better I don’t know but three other really good outfielders who are younger and cheaper and they’re have an opportunity to go get more pitching which they need. Steven Quan is available because of the Cleveland finances. Marte is maybe a different case and that’s sort of a weird one but I’m I’m still pretty intrigued just on how much better he is. So, the two outfielders, maybe even a third in Buckton. Interesting, but probably not the direction I would focus if I were running things at the winter meetings next week. And again, if you want to read more on why I think all this, you go to seattleports.com, read through the whole thing. This is where I think it gets most interesting because I think these three players are available, good fits to various degrees, and a little bit more reasonably priced in terms of what you’d have to give up. And that’s the three second baseman, Brandon Laauo, Brendan Donovan, and Jake Croninworth. Gonna again put them all in a bucket because all of them are primarily second baseman, but I think it’s worth noting they can all play other positions. La played the outfield. Donovan can play third. Croninworth can essentially play anywhere. So there is some flexibility there. Mhm. But as you look through it, this is, you know, how you like to say Brock, there’s your like choose your favorite flavor, your BaskinRobins deal. That’s sort of these three guys. If you want power at second base, it’s Brandon Laauo. Dude averages more than 30 home runs per 162 games he plays as a second baseman. That’s insane. If you want power, that would be your guy. Defense is slipping. He’s getting older. Like it’s not a perfect fit, but he is he’s got some real power. Okay. Croninworth to me is the least. He fits the least. He gets on base. The powers declined. His career started off with a bang with a couple all-star seasons and he just hasn’t really been the same for the last three years and he’s gonna make money over the next five years. Not a lot of money. It’s only 12 million a year, but it’s five more years of Jay Croninworth from like ages 31 to 35. Like I don’t know. That doesn’t do it for me the same. He’s a good player, don’t get me wrong, and he’d be worth having on the team. I wouldn’t be upset if they traded for him. But as you look at it, Brendan Donovan stands out. He really does. He he’s the guy who costs the he cost the most in terms of what you’d give up, but he costs the least in terms of what he would make over just the next two years, which gives you a couple of seasons to work in your young players without having to commit long-term to having that guy here forever. Um, he could play second, he could play third if you decide to go that direction. That flexibility is helpful. He gets on base. He’s got doubles power. Maybe not home run power, but gap to gap power. Man, it’s really hard not to see how Brendan Donovan isn’t a great fit for this lineup. Yeah. You know, and as the Mariners over the last few years have just kind of crystallized into their team and their vision that Mike McDonald likes to talk about of this is how we play, this is who we are. That guy just feels of all of these so far, guy does just feel and look like a Mariner. I mean, I can make you an argument that all three of those second baseman feel and look like Mariners. They they all have elements. I don’t know. They’re both 31. Both Lao and uh and Kworth are 31. Oh, yeah. Donovan’s 28, 29. Yeah. Yeah. They’re older, but they’re not so much older that you don’t want to mess around. I mean, again, Palano’s 31 and he’s had injury concerns that the other two guys haven’t necessarily had. So, I don’t know, man. And I don’t I don’t necessarily look at them and find that disqualifying. Laauo has some real skills. He’s not the defensive player he used to be. But man, you want to talk about a guy who could play some of the same role as Palano, second base, DH, more pop. Like that’s a again that kind of works. Contract. Uh it’s like it’s a two years that’s not particularly crazy. I forget what 12 a year something like that. It’s not it’s not crazy. They just picked up his option. So, you know, I think there’s a lot of belief that they’re going to trade him after that. So, it’s not it’s not like a debilitating contact contract. Cronorth, it’s not a lot of money every year. It’s just a long time for Croninorth. But again, that’s a good player. Like, he’s a good heady player who I think fits a lot of what they want to do here in terms of the clubhouse, in terms of the style of play. So, all of those names I think are worth considering. But, I’m with you. I think I think of them, Donovan is the best. The last name on my list is the one that I would not go anywhere near and it’s the same comment I made last year and that’s Alec Bomb who’s going to be available again from Philly. I’m just not a fan man. Now he’s a third baseman which helps. I mean like you could use a third baseman. Dude played in Philadelphia last year ly all year in that lineup in that ballpark. Had 11 home runs. Iffy defense questionable clubhouse like will you get off the Alec B? Why Alec Bow? You’re going to have to sell me again cuz I don’t still on the Alec Bow bandwagon. I mean, more last year I was not with Colt Emerson on the doorstep now. Okay. Well, that would actually be the best argument for Bow is that it’s a one. He’s just one year. Everyone else on this list is probably is a multi-year commitment. He’s the one player on this list that would be one year at third base. He can also play first. He could DH. Like, you could use him in some different in some different ways. If Emerson or Williamson takes over third, you could move him to, you know, DH first, play him in some other spots. Like I guess and and if it doesn’t work out, it’s only one year and you probably didn’t give up that much to get him. So I guess in that regard, I understand the idea of Alec Bow. I wouldn’t mess around. To me, if I’m giving up any sort of prospect, any sort of value, I want a guy back that’s going to make a difference on this team. And I think the other six or seven guys are are legitimate players that could make a difference whereas Bow is not. And and probably that’s why I discount Croninorth. I don’t know if he’s a difference maker. Right. So when you sat last week so on uh Wednesday or you recorded it the a couple days before with Justin and I and I heard a little snippet of this and you kind of asked him that threepronged you know adventure that you guys are on this year. Was there anything distinct in his answer? anything that he basically said, “Yeah, it’s a good problem to have.” I mean, and he’s right. I mean, like, you want to work these guys in, but you don’t want to have to overburden them. You’ve got to give them opportunities, but you can’t count on a rookie or multiple rookies right away. And so, that’s why I’ve been looking at all of these players and saying, “Okay, well, how are they good fits for now and or the future? And how do they how do they work with some of the young players that you want to work into your team? And that’s why I I do point to Marte as being a really good fit. Donovan was being a really good fit. Duran I think would still be a very good fit. Quan good. And then probably after that Lao and then last Cronin Worth and Bone. That that would be probably my ranking of those seven guys. And pitching I I don’t smell any pitching on this. I didn’t write about it. That’s not to say that you couldn’t go down that road, but again, if you’re going to if you’re going to add pitching, it’s either going to be depth, which isn’t really worth the conversation right now or you’re going so big that it’s scoo and it just doesn’t seem like that’s a direction they’re going to go. I mean, you could have a longer conversation about Tatsuya, but that probably is for another segment. I’m bought in on that guy. What do you like about him? I mean, he’s kind of the Mariners’s mold of a pitcher. Five pitch mix. They call his fastball comparable to Joe Ryan, which if that doesn’t jump out to you, I don’t know what does because Joe Ryan, this is not a hot take by the value and results. Joe Ryan has one of the best fast balls in Major League Baseball and MI’s 27. He’s got I mean, he’s again, he’s been dominant in Japan. Stuff seems like it could play stateside. I mean, there’s a there’s a big conversation there, but I’d be super interested in that kind of conversation, especially if you had to give somebody up in order to get in that case probably could tell Marte or just have to give up one of your minor league pitchers in order to get someone like Donovan, right? Yeah. I think those are real conversations. I I’m totally interested in that. Yeah. I think the other part of this is it not, you know, that’s 15 minutes on the intake. What about on the outtake? What about going down there? And does, you know, is there a market for Luis that you can cultivate? Is there a Kirby market that somebody is just going to, you know, kick down the door? Are you sold on Randy Rose Arena? He that came up in my in my notes here as well. And I’m This is all exciting stuff on the intake of what you could bring in, but how about the other side to create even more flexibility? Yeah, I mean you could if you decided to go after one of those two outfielders and decide that they’re a better left fielder than what they what you have now and trade Randy and try to replenish or whatever. Yes, the Red Sox might be interested in Luis Castillo type of a player and maybe that’s an opportunity to get Jiren Durant. There’s a million ways this can go and trying to trying to like get a handle on it before it’s happened. Interesting, too. It’ll be really interesting and and it’ll be great to have feet on the ground even though his head will be in the sand on a couple of these nights, but feet on the ground with Lyall down there. Salt because the last few years that market’s been fairly closed, right? Jerry and and crew have like, “Hey, man, we got the whiteboard out. We’re, you know, we’re ready to hold some meetings. We’re ready to get some stuff going, but it’s not been a whole lot of whole lot of traction.” And I wonder again with what is looming down the road here with the labor dispute if maybe that makes us I I wonder if you go add one of these players you’re talking about becoming a I mean you add Cel Marte you might be the favorite in the American League at that point to win the World Series. Right. Well and the Yankees I think by odds right now. Well you you add someone like that someone with that kind of ability man that completely changes who you are.

Brock Huard and Mike Salk (Brock & Salk) discuss seven potential trade targets for the Mariners in the 2025 offseason as the winter meetings approach.

Read Salk’s full article for more details 📰: https://sports.mynorthwest.com/brock-and-salk/salk-if-seattle-mariners-test-trade-market-heres-who-they-could-target/1831150

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0:00 – Ketel Marte is a better fit than Jorge Polanco
2:30 – Kwan vs Durran
5:00 – Most interesting fits
8:50 – Who Salk DOES NOT WANT
11:45 – Lyle’s suggestion
13:30 – Winter meetings

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Listen to The Brock & Salk Show weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Seattle Sports 710 AM or on-demand wherever you listen to podcasts.
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