Brock says time to go for prospects vs. salary relief

[D-train]

After (sorta) offloading bloated deals, Mariners should prioritize prospect return with remaining trade chips


By Corey Brock Jun 27, 2019 36
As the Mariners line up their remaining assets in advance of the trade deadline (yes, they actually still have a few players they haven’t traded), it’s critical they prioritize prospect return over financial relief.

The club has already done the heavy lifting, moving many of their top trade chips for controllable, intriguing players to assist their rebuilding efforts. Eight of Seattle’s top-16 prospects, according to MLBPipeline.com, weren’t in the organization a year ago, a list led by 19-year-old outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who might be the organization’s most exciting prospect in decades.

There’s not another Kelenic to be had for any of the Mariners’ remaining chips, most notably second baseman Dee Gordon and pitcher Mike Leake — but there are opportunities to fortify the rebuild.

Recent deals that sent Jay Bruce to the Phillies and Edwin Encarnación to the Yankees yielded some financial relief and only one prospect who cracked the team’s top-30 list in 19-year-old pitcher Juan Then, who came from New York. And, to be honest, the financial relief wasn’t much.

When the club moved Bruce to the Phillies on June 2 for minor-league infielder Jake Scheiner, Seattle paid $18.5 million of the $21.3 million owed to Bruce. Scheiner, 24, is with Class A Modesto and isn’t among the club’s top-30 prospects. When Seattle dealt Encarnación to the Yankees on June 15, they paid a little more than half of what he’s owed ($8.4 million of $16.4 million) and got Then in return.

Fans aren’t interested in hearing about financial relief. They want more prospects, which is understandable. But, it’s worth noting that the fewer financial obligations the club has in the future, the better positioned it can be to sprinkle in some free agents to supplement the roster.

So as we sit here a little more than a month out from the deadline, the question facing the Mariners is this: Will deals for Leake and Gordon look more like the Encarnación and Bruce trades, or will they opt for better young players over financial relief? The answer should be simple: Seattle needs to grab as much controllable talent as possible now, while they have the assets to do so, because the club sure as hell isn’t going to want to part with most of the young guys they added this past winter.

Since outlining their rebuild last fall, the Mariners have maintained that they hope to field a competitive major-league team by mid-2020. Some feel that’s too optimistic, and that 2021 or even 2022 might be more realistic.

“We are building a roster that is geared toward the future, and we have made no secret of it,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto told the team’s flagship radio station last week. “We see this as, this group starts to really arrive midway through 2020 and we feel like we become a fun and interesting team by ’21, and then we have a young core on the field.”

Guys like Gordon and Leake aren’t a part of that future core and have greater value elsewhere, and there is — and will be — a market for both of them.

Gordon, who turned 31 in April, is hitting .273 with three home runs and 13 steals this season, missing 19 games after being hit by a pitch on his right wrist May 9. He can play second base, shortstop and even a little center field in a pinch, though contenders will certainly be looking at him more at second base.

Gordon’s contract is manageable by today’s terms. Unlike Leake, he doesn’t have a no-trade clause. He’s making $13 million this season and $13.5 million in 2020 with a $14 million vesting option for 2021 (with a $1 million buyout) that kicks in if he reaches 600 plate appearances in 2020 or 1,200 total from 2019-20. Given his recent injury history and the fact he’s no longer hitting at the top of the lineup, his days of 600-plus plate appearance seasons might be over.

That doesn’t mean he’s not a viable trade target. There are a handful of teams in the postseason mix who could use an upgrade at second base, with the Red Sox and Rockies at the top of that list.

In Boston, Eduardo Núñez has struggled, Brock Holt has been hurt and rookie Michael Chavis might not be the best answer for a team trying to win now. Perhaps Gordon could land Seattle a midlevel prospect, particularly if the Mariners throw in reliever Austin Adams, who has 35 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings since joining the team. A Gordon-Adams package could land a slightly better prospect like right-handed starter Mike Shawaryn.

Colorado hasn’t gotten a whole lot out of Ryan McMahon, Brendan Rodgers and Garrett Hampson. Perhaps the Mariners could pry right-hander Rico Garcia from the Rockies (who probably don’t want to surrender pitching, for obvious reasons).


(Jennifer Buchanan / USA Today)
Moving Leake will be a little trickier since he has a no-trade clause. He’s under contract through 2020, making $16 million this season and $15 million in 2020 with a $5 million buyout for a 2021 mutual option. The Cardinals, from whom Seattle obtained Leake in August 2017, are still on the hook for $5 million this season and $4 million in 2020.

The Mariners were reportedly close to a deal that would have sent Leake to Arizona earlier this month before talks fell through.

The 31-year-old is on pace to make 30 or more starts for the seventh consecutive season. There’s value in an innings-eater, even if he profiles as a replacement-level starter, and his value might become greater the closer we get to the trade deadline.

Something important to keep in mind with either of these two potential trades (as well as those for Encarnación and Bruce): Teams have never been more reticent to give up prospects than they are now. These players might be lottery tickets, but it makes sense for teams (financially, at least) to see what these players can become before shipping them off. This will make it tough for the Mariners to extract prospects or — and this is pie-in-the-sky thinking — a compensation-round draft pick for either Gordon or Leake.

But they have to try. A team that has chosen this rebuilding path has no place for these two players.

Seattle already has some financial flexibility, especially after moving Robinson Canó to the Mets last winter. The team’s payroll obligations get even smaller beginning in 2020 ($89.8 million, according to Spotrac) and should be below $50 million in 2021. There will be room to add players later, but now is the time to strike to reinforce the rebuild process.

[bpj]

Dee Gordon is worthless at minimum, amazing to think he would get back anything at all, even a bad prospect, without covering that salary.

Gordon is the least likely bad contract to get anything back because he doesnt produce anything on top of getting paid.

Gordon is probably less valuable thamnour and relievers given his contract.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

This is what i was saying with regard to Encarnacion. They should have eaten all his remaining salary for a better prospect
(and not traded with Yankees at all). I mean, at this point in the process shouldn't they grab every chance to load the farm system? It seems like a better way to spend cash than by overpaying free agents in 2 years.

[D-train]

This is what i was saying with regard to Encarnacion. They should have eaten all his remaining salary for a better prospect
(and not traded with Yankees at all). I mean, at this point in the process shouldn't they grab every chance to load the farm system? It seems like a better way to spend cash than by overpaying free agents in 2 years.

Exactly. Reminds me of this commercial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij1yDpfZI8Q

Funny Joe was probably pulling in about $7 bucks an hour back then. lol

[Coeurd’Alene J]

This is what i was saying with regard to Encarnacion. They should have eaten all his remaining salary for a better prospect
(and not traded with Yankees at all). I mean, at this point in the process shouldn't they grab every chance to load the farm system? It seems like a better way to spend cash than by overpaying free agents in 2 years.

Exactly. Reminds me of this commercial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij1yDpfZI8Q

Funny Joe was probably pulling in about $7 bucks an hour back then. lol

Stanton let everyone know it’s not about the money.....,

[D-train]

Yes, that right! And words always speak louder than actions with this org.