Athletics and Mariners Could Make This Shocking Trade

Now that Early is off the table, the A's will have to pivot to other young controllable starters to bolster their staff before the deadline.

With J.T. Ginn on the Injured List, as well as a bunch of other starters for the A's, there's no better time to land a pitcher if you're the A's. Unfortunately, one of the best options might just be in the same division.

Emerson Hancock Would Be Perfect for A's Rotation

While it feels unlikely the Mariners would dish one of their elite starters to a team in the AL West, the A's have plenty of options for them to consider doing it.

Emerson Hancock has been a very good starter for Seattle this season, posting a 3.16 ERA in 105.1 innings pitched. Because of the extreme surplus of starters in Seattle, he gets outshone by the others, and it's starting to feel like he's the odd man out.

Even though it feels like Hancock doesn't have a spot in the Mariners' rotation for the remainder of the season, they won't give him away for cheap. He's still in his pre-arbitration years and won't be a free agent until 2031.

Because he's a great young starter with a lot of team control, the Mariners should see improvements in their lineup as they look to win a fairly light American League this season.

Hancock Could Cost the A's a Fortune

Not only should Hancock cost a pretty penny before the deadline, but it could cost the A's even more to make the deal happen.

The A's have several different options for trade this summer, including Tyler Soderstrom, Carlos Cortes, Lawrence Butler, Jonah Heim, Tommy White, or even the hot Jose Suarez.

Soderstrom and White could be intriguing options for the Mariners. Both have been productive, and White seems like he's going to be a good hitter in the league for a while. With the infield having Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, and eventually Leo De Vries among the many other depth options, they could look to deal White.

Perhaps the A's could ship together White, Cortes, and maybe a few mid-tier prospects to entice the Mariners into giving up the young star. Because Hancock doesn't have a spot with the Mariners right now, it will be interesting to see how other teams value him in a trade before Monday's deadline.