Seattle Mariners Insider Explores Hypothetical 3-Team Trade Involving Prospects

The scant payroll flexibility means it's unlikely for the Mariners to sign a free agent third or second baseman that doesn't come with a series of question marks. This leaves the trade market as the most likely area of improvement for the organization.

But avenues for trades haven't been favorable for Seattle, either.

According to an analysis piece from Seattle Times writer Ryan Divish, Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto has preferred to trade away from a farm system that has seven top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline.

But in an era where the American League and National League both have three Wild Cards spots, most teams think they can contend for a playoff spot. Divish points out that there's some evidence to that belief. The Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks went from teams with losing records in 2022 to pennant-winners in 2023. The Kansas City Royals went from last place in the American League Central with a 56-106 record in 2023 to second place with an 86-76 record and made the playoffs in 2024.

That mindset and evidence to it means that not many teams are eager to trade major league talent in return for prospects. The Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins are reported to be the only two teams who would be willing to make a deal of that nature.

The issue is that both squads have already traded some of their better players dating back to the trade deadline. Players like Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde, Bryan De La Cruz, Josh Bell, Tommy Pham, Paul DeJong and Tanner Scott. Players still remaining on those two teams who the Mariners would be interested in are young, cheap and under team control for several years who fit with the respective clubs' rebuilds.

Divish pointed out a hypothetical trade that would need to happen for Seattle to get a major league bat from a team outside Chicago or Miami in return for prospects.

In the hypothetical swap, three teams are involved: the Mariners, Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals. In the deal, Seattle sends two prospects to Miami: catcher Harry Ford and infielder Michael Arroyo; the Marlins get pitcher Edward Cabrera from St. Louis; and the Cardinals send infielder Brendan Donovan to the Mariners.

Divish clarified that he doesn't expect that hypothetical deal to happen, but that would be the general framework of a trade that brings a major league bat to Seattle outside of a one-on-one transaction with either Miami or the White Sox.

Seattle has been working at a disadvantage the entire offseason, mainly due to its own self-imposed restrictions. And for a deal to happen, it will likely take a lot of work. Maybe too much work to be realistic.