The Mariners’ trade deadline endeavors ended up focusing around pitching additions, yet the club also looked into acquiring a pair of top-tier bats. On a recent edition of the Talking Mariners podcast, 710 ESPN’s Shannon Drayer and James Osborn said Seattle tried to obtain Kris Bryant from the Cubs, with Drayer noting that the M’s “went in heavy on” their attempts to land the former NL MVP. Additionally, The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish reports (on the Times’ Extra Innings podcast, with MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer as a guest) that tried to pry Bryan Reynolds away from the Pirates.
Bryant is perhaps the more intriguing name, considering that he’ll be available in the free agent market in a matter of days. As Drayer mentioned, Seattle’s interest in Bryant as a trade deadline rental doesn’t necessarily mean the club would also be open to making him a long-term free agent offer. Signing Bryant would be expensive, but GM Jerry Dipoto has said that the M’s have more payroll to spend this winter, and the club doesn’t have much salary on the books for forthcoming years.
Tying into another recent Dipoto comment, Bryant would also fit the Mariners’ preferred desire for “a player who is adaptable and willing to move around the field.” Bryant’s ability to play either corner infield position and all three outfield spots certainly qualifies, and his presence would allow the M’s to mix and match their current options at those positions.
Assuming Kyle Seager’s club option isn’t exercised, Ty France and Abraham Toro are penciled into the starting first base and third base spots, but landing Bryant would allow either player to fill Seattle’s vacancy at second base. The Mariners have Mitch Haniger, Kyle Lewis, Jarred Kelenic, Taylor Trammell, and Jake Fraley set for outfield duty with top prospect Julio Rodriguez set to make his MLB debut, yet Haniger is the only experienced name in this group, and Lewis missed almost the entire 2021 season due to injury.
Since Dipoto has mainly built the Mariners’ roster via trades, however, Divish and Kramer believe the general manager is more likely to again focus on the trade market rather than free agency for any big-ticket additions. Signing Bryant or any of the top free-agent shortstops might not be as feasible for the M’s as picking up a notable trade target, and in fact, Divish predicts J.P. Crawford will be signed to a contract extension to further entrench him as the Mariners’ shortstop. (Drayer, for the record, believes Trevor Story would be willing to move to second or third base to accommodate, and “Story is somebody that [the Mariners] have liked for a long, long time.”)
Seattle could also use their financial flexibility to accommodate some deals, but of course, swinging a major trade that doesn’t involve absorbing a big contract would have another heavy cost in terms of surrendering prospects. In regards to Reynolds, Divish says the M’s have tried to acquire the outfielder on two different occasions, and in the most recent trade talks, the Pirates wanted Rodriguez in return. It seems highly unlikely that Seattle would part with Rodriguez (arguably the sport’s top prospect) in any deal, yet those are the kinds of asks that other teams would make for any premium talent.
Pittsburgh’s demand for Rodriguez also further illustrates the very high price tag the Pirates are putting on Reynolds, who was a popular trade target for many teams this summer. Reynolds is arbitration-eligible through the 2025 season, and that type of control combined with Reynolds’ outstanding performance in two of his three seasons makes him one of the most valuable trade chips in all of baseball. However, the Pirates have also indicated that they see Reynolds as a key member of their rebuild, and it isn’t likely Reynolds is dealt unless another team steps forward with a truly eye-popping offer, i.e. a Rodriguez-level prospect.
Bryant’s going to want 8/200 and he’s just not worth it. The last few years of that contract….. let’s just say he will be lucky to finish it as a player. Story is already on the decline. He is a future DH candidate. Bryant on the other hand is a guy whose bat will drop off before his fielding goes.
You must be fun at parties.
It’s just a baseball commentary. Jeez. You must be double fun ⚾️
So what should the Mariners do in free agency.
Sign whoever is the best player who is willing to sign for one year. This rule applies to every team really.
That’s a lot of opinions you are using as facts to build your laws of truth on their buddy. I feel like your argumentative method is comparable to building a sky scraper on a lilly pad.
One average hitting season but 4.2 WAR this year and Story’s in decline? Not buying it. He’s also only 28.
I think Bryant is going for 7 yrs x 35. No way he’s worth it. OF isn’t our biggest need nor is 1st where France has been doing a great job. That leaves Bryant at 3rd (he didn’t play 2nd or shortstop this year) and he hasn’t been great there and has played there 55 times this year but 106 in the OF.
Go Braves!
Seattle, be like the Braves who traded for 4 excellent players (at the trade deadline) who were essential for the Braves great finish.
No more shoulda, woulda, coulda Seattle. Make it happen next time!
Agree but not Bryant. Too $$$$ for too long.
Rosario, Duvall, Soler and Pederson are all flawed players who each had something critical that Atlanta needed after losing Acuna. Power and the ability to play the outfield. And you are correct that those skills were essential for the Braves finish. They fit their needs very well but cost nowhere near what a Bryant, Correa, Semien, etc. would cost Seattle..
The more I think about the Mariners, I just don’t know how they fair next season. A boatload of close wins with an average roster. I don’t like a Bryant signing. Something says injuries. A big splash is Simean (sp). They almost need to see how some prospects perform first. As I’ve mentioned before, sign or trade for pitching. They don’t need aces, just steady
Totally agree. Pay the man for Semien and I might think a strong SP. Bryant is tooo $$$ for tooooo long
They went “hard” for Bryant but couldn’t beat the iffy return the Giants sent back?
Yeah, thats what I I was thinking too. It’s not like they got Bart in return. The got an outfielder who looks interesting but no top prospects.
Keep in mind different FOs value prospects differently. It’s not always as linear as going “well, this guy from this system is ranked 150th, the other guy from the other system is 151st”. The prospect(s) the M’s offered up might’ve technically been higher ranked or subjectively more exciting depending on who you ask but the Cubs might’ve just really liked the guys they got from SF more.
Yea those rankings are for fans, they mean virtually nothing to teams. Plus, fans don’t realize that rankings are fluid. Thus, a 19 year old ranked 110th might actually be more valuable than a 24 year old ranked 50th.
Spot on. The only exception I’d take to your post is, seeing as how things turned out, I don’t think “…the Cubs might’ve just really liked the guys they got from SF more”, I’m pretty sure they absolutely did.
Canario is solid and nothing to laugh at.
This team is run by the same gm who dfa’d schwarber in 2020. Plus on all the trades, the cubs sent cash, then have an owner who says the team will spend money in free agency when the reality is they won’t.
Most of what you’re saying is inaccurate. Theo dfa’d Kyle. The Cubs didn’t send cash in the trades and it’s yet to be seen if the Rickets will indeed spend money this offseason as the season hasn’t actually ended yet.
Micpandi—-you are ever more incorrect than the guy above. As a matter of fact you are completely wrong on all accounts.
Kyle Schwarber was never DFAd—-by anybody. Ever.
And yes, in fact, it is reported that the Cubs sent money in both the Rizzo and Baez deals. By paying remaining salary or portion of the last two months the Cubs were able to get higher prospects (Alcantara from the Yankees and Crow-Armstrong from the Mets) than they would have by shedding salaries.
This internet is a crazy thing….put it down and I’m sure some people thought you knew what you were talking about.
Schwarber was non tendered by the cubs in dec 2020. Theo resigned in Nov 2020. Frick or frack on dfa or non tendered, cubs didn’t keep schwarber to trade for prospects.
How much money was sent in the Kimbrel trade, Pederson trade, Marisnick trade, Chafin trade or Tepara trade?
Did Bryant have any sort of no trade clause?
No. He was still under team control as an arbitration-eligible player.
I don’t see how the M’s “went in heavy” on Bryant if they didn’t get him.
“Next time you come in here, you better come in heavy.” Isn’t that something to the effect of what Uncle Junior once said to Tony?… anyway, in this case it just means the M’s tried hard to get him, what’s not to see?
Why do you think just because someone tries hard they get their goal? You never tried hard and failed?
They Offered Jay Buhner’s goatee…
That would look so wrong
Someone else went in heavier, maybe?
Would it have helped?
I am not sure
I know I was not happy that Max Scherzer went to the Dodgers, i thought he should have given the Rays a Chance
Why all the second guessing now so much after the fact. If that’s the case the Yankees should of traded Sanchez, Andujar and Frazier 3 years ago.
Ummm. They really should have…
It would seem a fair comp for a Bryant contract would be George Springer’s. 6/150.
Mariners are in a beautiful position moving forward. Mariner fans should be happy about the future. GM has done a great job, keep making smart effective moves. I hope they don’t ruin what they’ve built .. A couple bad free agent contract can ruin it all in years.. I hope they stay smart. Me personally, I love to see organizations build teams the right way.
Well, we found Dipoto’s alt account.
Hahaha… No. Highly educated, mature comment. I’m sure your fellow 10 year olds on this site will continue to applaud you. Maybe after, you guys can get together and play with your lego toys. Would make for a great day… lol.
I was just kidding, man. M’s fan here and I’m pretty much in agreement with you. Wasn’t taking a shot. Just thought the idea of Dipoto hopping in to puff himself up was silly.
Not saying Mariners were a fluke but look what he did to Angels. They still haven’t recovered from his crappy handling of their farm system, signings of Pujols & Hamilton.
Great comment. You literally couldn’t possibly be less informed. The owner of the angels signed Pujols.
That was 95% Arte. When it came to the big moves Dipoto had little say so.
I thought it was funny as hell!!! Lmao!!
He didn’t want to sign either of them, especially Hamilton. That was all Arte.
We can all learn from things, too. But agree with other re who signed Pujos, etc. Can’t blame Jerry for that as much as the owners
Why bad mouth legos? Greatest toy of all time.
Bryan Reynolds is a very good player, but I certainly wouldn’t put him in the “premium talent” category
.912 OPS and a gold glove finalist in CF, plus 4 more years of control. Absolutely a premium talent and honestly should cost more than just JRod to get him.
Good on the Pirates for standing by a reasonably high asking price, but they should be looking to extend him if they were a serious organization.
The Pirates were asking the Marlins for their three top prospects, which are (by FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline) Sixto Sanchez, Max Meyer, and Edward Cabrera. Both also have all three in their top 50. Mariners weren’t going to get Reynolds unless at least two of Noelvi Marte, Julio Rodriguez, Emmerson Hancock, or Jared Kelenic were going back the Pirates’ way.
Exactly @jtkuch. I’m hopeful that the Pirates are already approaching Reynolds about an extension but I would understand if he isn’t yet interested in doing one. As for the trade speculation, the Pirates should absolutely be asking for that kind of return for Reynolds. What’s the worst that happens? The other team says no, and Pittsburgh still has him for possibly 4 more years. He’s worth the asking price.
@jtkuch
The Pirates are not a serious organization. Any extension to any Pirates player will be ‘back-loaded’ so that they can be flipped with 2+ yrs remaining on their deal. Its a never-ending cycle. I kind of wish they got JRodriguez+ for Reynolds because his service time coincides with the next window the Pirates might be good.
Bryan Reynolds is one of the best players in the NL. He’s only 26 and had a high OPS and a wRC+ of over 140. A legit 2-way player. You tell me how many of those players you have sitting around? He’s elite.
With that being said, you don’t give Julio for anyone. Maybe if it’s Juan Soto…and that’s not happening so Julio being involved in any trade is never happening.
He was tied with Aaron Judge for 9th highest WAR in the majors. He’s a 26 year old switch hitting CF who just finished his 3rd year. He may be on the Pirates but he’s definitely a premium talent.
And yet Reyonlds for Rodrigez would be an underpayment. The M’s could add Hancock to bring the trade closer to an equalibrium.
I don’t think giants will try to hard to sign him at all ( wisely ) so Mariners have a chance might even be favorites if Mets or Phillies don’t write a blank check to him
I’ve watched most of his games since day one and leading up to free agency it has seemed like Bryant has been listening to Scott Boros and not playing unless he’s been 100%. He appears to be glass and sitting out games has been frustrating to fans. Sure he can get hot and help carry a team for a few days but he’s going to be overpaid. A team may not entirely regret signing him but the production they get won’t be everything they are hoping for.
Most every guy who signs a FA contract is overpaid, just as most every guy under team control is underpaid.
Bryant will most certainly be overpaid & for too long. Looking at his stats they don’t justify it
Ah article like this is just sort of “filler”, waiting until free agents are available.
Well, the way this Series is going, that probably won’t be long.
But, even then – and despite what Dipoto has said recently – any real action can drag on until after the Winter Meetings.
Well, we can speculate all we want but the fate of some Mariners players will stay a mystery for a while.
About Abraham Toro, who knows? And Ty France?
A whole lot remains to be seen.
Any GM can almost get a deal done. Readers here if given a chance could almost get a deal done. GMs are paid seven figures a year to make excellent things happen for the ball club, that’s their job.
The Ms should keep their young players and just use FA this year since they only have 50M on the books for 2022.
Sign Bryant or Semien, then sign Ray and bring in a one to two year big bag OF that can rotate as a DH with Kelinic, Lewis and Haniger. Then see how the team looks at the trade deadline and if things worked out you can move some of the plethora of young talent they have to upgrade for the end of year run.
That’s all they need is just one the best position players available and possibly the best starter available. Easy game mlb team building is lol.
Not Bryant. Going into his stats he doesn’t justify a big long term contract. Semien is a different story. Pay the man
Stove is going to be hot this year. Which will lead to an exciting season in early summer or 2023. Whenever the strike ends.
Bash ’em. Yuk yuk yuk
Bryant made sense at the deadline. The price tag wasn’t too high and he would have addressed an immediate need: right-handed power they could plug into left field.
Shannon’s caution that he isn’t necessarily a long-term target makes sense. His positional flexibility isn’t exactly what Seattle needs, as they’ll likely have Haniger, Lewis, Kelenic, and Rodriguez for the corners & DH for most of the season, plus Fraley and Moore as platoonable reserves off the bench.
Seattle needs infield flexibility and a true center fielder. Bryant is likeable, so don’t get me wrong. He’s a decent defender as well, but it’s a step down from Seager’s D and Noelvi Marte, a top-10 MLB prospect (BA; 11th via Pipeline), is likely going to be ripe for the majors by or in 2024. Locking up Bryant long-term would mean paying excessively for a player that may end up DHing most nights. That’s probably not something Jerry Dipoto wants to do.
Reynolds is a different story. A switch-hitting, true center fielder is absolutely a fit/need for the Mariners, though Seattle isn’t likely willing to cough up Rodriguez or Marte. However, one of Kirby/Hancock wouldn’t be out of the question, along with other pieces of course. Pittsburgh may very well want more elite prospects in a return, though. And who could blame them?
Another center fielder that makes a ton of sense for Seattle is Ketel Marte, and perhaps he’s a more easily acquirable target as Seattle could feasibly take Bumgarner off their hands for a package of second-tier prospects, just as Arizona did with the Goldy and Greinke trades.
As far as infielders go, Semien, Taylor, Story (especially now that he apparently won’t be extended the QO), and Escobar make a ton of sense via free agency. Via trade, perhaps Brian Anderson or Josh Donaldson. I would anticipate one player on long-term deal and a second on a short-term deal or under control for no more than 3 years.
Seattle has some work to do. I would argue there’s a need for 2 infielders and a center fielder, plus a couple of starting pitchers and at least one reliever. There’s an argument for a catcher as well, as Raleigh clearly isn’t ready and they may not want to use Torrens in a regular role before Raleigh eventually takes ownership of the job.
You can find more details at hardballviahardcore if you’re interested.
I would loath to give up Kirby. The velocity uptick combined with his command and the depth of his arsenal makes his potential so high at this point. Im not saying never trade him just that I suspect his value is higher than many people are thinking. Hancock could be a beast too but Kirby is quickly turning into a can’t miss prospect.
I think I responded to the wrong comment but still stand by this
Kirby and Hancock are on similar time-lines. Seattle probably could afford to part with one.
The bigger question is if one of them as the headliner would be enough. My guess is that it wouldn’t, regardless of secondary pieces.
The Mariners have alot of work, more than many fans want to admit but there’s a clear path to being good without crippling the future. I think your analysis of their needs is spot on. They also have the issue of potentially blocking or trading away too much cheap quality talent. They could put together a 90+ win team spending fortune, or trading good players, or try for a little less than that with cheaper options wnd potentially get there anyway with the talent they have. Which would be a more sustainable option. Trading Rodriguez, Kelenic, Kirby, Hancock or Marte could be ok or could be a bunch of regret 3 years down the road
Story will too be extended a QO! What reason would the Rockies have to not do that?
I love these articles. Everyone was trying for everyone, either due to need or to drive the price up for others. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
Stevil, how did you set your comments up so that there is no REPLY button?
Well, as always your comment is the completest thing to be found anywhere.
Things have changed since the old Disqus days, haven’t they?
I’ll be visiting your blog, bro.
Why would Trevor Story be the one that moves off SS if the Mariners sign him? And why would he sign there if that’s the plan?
Why do you think Story wouldn’t be willing to move to 3B/2B?
Money talks.
Because JP Crawford is one of the top 3 best defensive SS in the game…You don’t move him if you value defense.
Why would anyone in their right mind move JP off SS?
Drayer has “Mitch Haniger, Kyle Lewis, Jarred Kelenic, Taylor Trammell, and Jake Fraley set for outfield duty with top prospect Julio Rodriguez”
Mitch is proven,
Lewis and his history of knee problems will never be a FT OF and see most ABs as a DH.
Kelenic started coimg around in Sept but still has a lot to prove.
Trammel is on his 3rd org in 5 years and is not yet a MLB caliber player,
Fraley really hustles but doesn’t look like a quality MLB player that winning teams carry.
J-Rod has only played 40 games above A-Ball. Expecting him to come in and light up the league is unrealistic.
This team needs serious OF help.
Serious outfield help? No. They need a true center fielder.
Even if Lewis can’t play the field regularly, they’ll still have Haniger & Kelenic, with Fraley is reserve for opening day.
And of course, Rodríguez at some point. The corners are covered.
They can’t trust Lewis or Haniger to stay healthy and asking Lewis to be a full time CF after another knee injury would be insane. They need a CF.
lol
Given who we have in the pipeline along with Kelenic, Haniger and maybe a trade for OF but not a $$$$$$ one. Our main needs are at SP and then 2nd and or 3rd. Bryant’s numbers don’t justify what he’d be played to secure 3rd base. He played 3rd 55 times last year; 1st 12 times; 2nd 0 times; SS 2 times; OF 106 times and he’s a corner outfielder not a center fielder.
Why even report on this? Mariners “tried” to trade? A lot of teams “tried” to trade for those guys. In fact, I garentee the trading ideas didnt last more then one phone call. Must be a slow news day for MLBTR
Why? Because fans want to know which teams were actually involved, and not depend on the conjecture of fans. I like knowing the facts better than wild guesses. How can you guarantee that it was one phone call? One call cannot be described as “went in heavy”.
Why do you even read MLBTR articles? This article is exactly why I come here. This is interesting inside information that won’t be reported anywhere else.
um…because the name of this site is MLB Trade *Rumors*?
I never get folks complaining about an article written in order to provide further insight on a subject and promote discussion.
It’s a Mets fan. Logical thinking doesn’t exist in that person’s head.
They went in heavy? The Cubs got a 50 and 45 rated prospects. That would be similar to the 10th and 12th top prospect in the Seattle system. Doesn’t sound like it was all that heavy.
LOL
The Mets can help with 1b or 3b with Smith or JD Davis to Seattle for Haniger helps Mets in RF when Conforto leaves.
Lol no thanks. That’d be a downgrade and makes no sense. Trade our best outfielder for a player who will not start over France or a player who might give the same production as Toro. I’m really curious as to why you think that trade makes sense for Seattle. Trade our best outfielder for two players who would ride the bench here… is that you Brady?
If Bryan Reynolds were a Yankee, would any team bother to call about him?
The Pirates are a minor league team, just keeping the players warm until a real MLB comes along.
Forwhomthetrollsmells…and you are a major league troll. You troll here and on pro football site. Get a damn life instead of sitting in the basement bashing the pirates. And writing idiotic posts
If Reynolds was on the Yankees he’d be heralded as the best in all of baseball and be worth 8 top prospects. Everyone thinks they can rob the Pirates.
Ironically enough the Pirates tend to do well when trading with the Yankees.
Last 10 years W/L records: Seattle Mariners 757-863; Pittsburgh Pirates 763-855. 5 other teams besides Seattle finished below the Pirates. Must be at least 7 minor league teams in Major League Baseball.
Mariners should bring back Chris Taylor. He could play 2nd or 3rd for them and corner outfield. It will cost them a lot less than getting Kris Bryant.
Must not have tried that hard to trade for Bryant. No one who isn’t an avid follower of the Giants’ farm system had ever heard of Alexander Canario or Caleb Killian before they were traded for Bryant.
Fork out the dough and keep your top prospects! Trading for cheaper alternatives is only cheap short term financially. If you want REAL talent you have to part with the cheapest if your future… your future stud prospects. Dear lord!!! You’ve gone cheap now for a while. Time to strike while the iron’s hot. Especially as the free agent class is ripe with serious talent.