The Seattle Mariners still have two infield positions that could conceivably be filled by established stars.
With Josh Naylor back at first base, the Mariners are still missing free-agent second baseman Jorge Polanco and third baseman Eugenio Suárez from their October roster. Seattle could simply try to re-sign either or both, but what about a trade for an All-Star whose contract wouldn’t be as expensive on a yearly basis?
That sort of trade is exactly what ESPN insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel suggested could happen in a highly intriguing Tuesday column.
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Could Mariners acquire Padres’ 2B Jake Cronenworth?
McDaniel and Passan named the Mariners as a potential trade landing spot for San Diego Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth, who has played extended innings at second base and first base and has made two All-Star teams in his first six big-league seasons.
“As the Padres grapple with a rotation that needs three spots filled behind Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, their financial state comes into play,” wrote McDaniel and Passan.
“They need to move money, and dealing Cronenworth is the easiest route to do so, with his appealing versatility and five years and $60 million remaining on his deal. … Team Fits: Mariners, Pirates, Marlins, Royals.”
McDaniel and Passan assigned Cronenworth a projected 25% chance of being traded, so it’s not as though the Mariners just need to match or exceed other teams’ best offers. But San Diego’s financial situation has loomed like a dark cloud over that franchise for a while, so it’s not hard to envision them moving a really good role player for salary relief.
Another interesting question: Could Cronenworth shift over to third base at some point? He’s played just one game there in his big-league career (in 2020), but the Padres have had Manny Machado for his entire tenure, so that’s not necessarily an indictment of his ability to play some games there.
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