Are Padres & Mariners a Fit for a Potential Trade?
Credit: AP
The Seattle Mariners have had a bad week.
After learning that Robinson Cano would miss significant time after getting hit by a pitch against the Detroit Tigers, news broke on Tuesday that he would be missed much longer, after being suspended 80 games for a violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Agreement.
This is a big loss for a team that Baseball America ranks as the worst farm system in baseball.
The Mariners currently have one prospect ranked in the top 100 of both Baseball America and MLBpipeline.com; Kyle Lewis, who is currently with their Advanced-A team, the Modesto Nuts. He will not be able to contribute this year, and even if they did call him up, it would not be beneficial to either party.
“The top 10 is thin, and the 26th best prospect in Seattle’s system would rank below the 50th best prospect in the Yankees or Padres system,” is what Baseball America wrote about the system in their rankings. This leaves the Mariners only one solution; it is time to make a trade.
Since Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto took over the job on September 28, 2015, the Seattle Mariners have made a league-leading number of trades – 62 – earning the nickname Trader Jerry.
To put that in perspective, A.J. Preller in that time has made 33 trades.
My buddy @dennistlin offered this up to me today: Maybe the Padres OF Travis Jankowski might make sense for the Mariners. He’s a controllable LHH with speed/defense, can platoon in CF with Heredia. Padres with a surplus of OFers. Maybe a middling prospect + international cash?
— Corey Brock (@CoreyBrockMLB) May 16, 2018
The Mariners lost a Gold Glove second baseman in Robinson Cano and a Hall of Fame-caliber bat, and it is impossible to replicate. The move for an outfielder seems to make sense on paper if they are moving Dee Gordon to second base, but the whole purpose of that acquisition was to get the absolute most out of him defensively. This would be counterproductive to the off-season acquisition of him, especially if he is still learning the position. It would simply be a huge step back in his transformation into a center fielder. The Mariners need to be searching for a middle infielder, which the San Diego Padres have an excess of right now.
Here are some trades that could occur between the two teams:
SS Freddy Galvis, RHP Tyson Ross, and C Raffy Lopez for LHP Marco Gonzales and #18 Prospect RHP Seth Elledge
The 25-year-old Gonzales is coming off Tommy John surgery, missing the entire 2016 season. He was acquired for prospect Tyler O’Neill in a deadline deal last year. He has underperformed since he has joined the Mariners, pitching to a 5.35 ERA in 15 starts. This trade will give the Padres another controllable young starter that is pitching under his projections and a prospect that would rank in the top 40 in the Padres system. The Mariners would get a Gold Glove-caliber middle infielder in Galvis, a pitcher in Ross that knows the division, and an upgrade at backup catcher.
? POLO! @MarcoGonzales_ had ’em missing today. #TrueToTheBlue pic.twitter.com/jy1wJdFa1w
— Mariners (@Mariners) April 25, 2018
2B Carlos Asuaje for #8 Prospect RHP Art Warren
Art Warren is a former starting pitcher-turned-reliever by the Mariners. He has displayed better stuff out of the bullpen as he can let his 70-grade fastball go more often, touching 98 at times. This is not a very sexy trade, but it is something that both teams could afford to do. The Padres need to make room at second base while getting an arm that is close to MLB ready and the Mariners would get a left-handed second baseman with MLB experience.
2B Cory Spangenberg for International Bonus Money and a Player to Be Named Later
This trade probably makes the most sense. The Padres get international bonus money and the possibility of a PTBNL, while freeing up a 40-man spot. The Mariners get a left-handed-hitting second baseman with good speed that has shown the ability to contribute at the MLB level.
Whether these trades happen or not, it seems likely that all of the players listed have a limited amount of time left with the Padres. It will be an interesting year to watch unfold.
Since he was a little kid he wanted to be one of those guys at the game who had the headset on, listening to the Colonel and Uncle Teddy, he has grown out of that, but the love is still there. Padres’ coverage will be biased at times, but mostly an honest dissection of the team he loves.
NO, we don’t need middling Prospects any more at ALL. We are not helping other teams and going sideways anymore. ALL moves should be for players that project to be key pieces to the 25 man roster for the next 5 years period.
That first trade is pointless for SD. They signed Galvis to provide a good glove and stop the merry-go-round at short (always remember we could have kept Trea Turner, the blunder that keeps on giving) until Tatis is ready. We trade him, who plays SS?
I’d let Seattle pick Asuaje or Spangenberg. Neither will be important pieces for the 2020 team, if even with the organization. The return should be the best 3B guy they can get. It’s the weakest position organizationally for SD, and Villanueva is not in any way a major league player.
That’s fair, but Galvis is only signed through this year. There has been no mention of an extension during the season and it doesn’t make sense to do it here. If they do trade Galvis, Luis Urias, who played a lot of shortstop last year and has played quite a bit this year, could man that position for the rest of the year.
With his numbers on offense there’s no hurry to extend him, more likely they offer him another 1 year deal when the season is over. And I like Urias at 2B, gives the team the best defensive combination.
I seriously doubt the Mariners would want either Asuaje or Spangenberg, who are both negative WAR players this year (Spang had a negative WAR last year also).
Both these players are most likely DFA candidates at the end of this year.
I think there is definitely more upside on Asuaje given his age and contract status, he’s a free agent in 2024 whereas Spangenberg hits the market in 2021. Asuaje’s hit tool also helps even though it hasn’t played this year yet. I do think you are right though, if they can’t find a taker for Spangenberg, he will be DFA’d before the year is over.
If Seattle is smart, and I think their GM is pretty good; they need a NEW second baseman NOT a center fielder. Gordon has adapted well in CENTER so why move him back to SECOND? As much as I like Cory Spangenberg and wish Preller would make him OUR second baseman, I think he’s probably getting squeezed in SD. That said, he’d do reasonably well with the Mariners. So too would Carlos Asuaje; who would also welcome a new chance and a new location. We know that Luis Urias is coming eventually – maybe soon! Will it be as a SHORTSTOP or at SECOND? He’s playing both in El Paso. In my mind, the player most expendable and certainly very trade-able is Freddy Galvis! Perhaps then Cory can be the new SECOND BASEMAN and Urias the SHORTSTOP?
Say NO to trading Travis Jankowski. All he does is hit, get on base, steal and play exceptional defense. Clearly, his time in El Paso with batting coach, Morgan Burkhart, has made a big difference! As well as he has done, why do some people want to trade him?
I agree about Jankowski, I don’t think they need to move him yet or for that matter to the Mariners because I’m not sure we get any value from them. If he continues to hit though, don’t be surprised if he does get moved.