SEATTLE — President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, general manager Justin Hollander and the rest of the Mariners’ front-office contingent will head to San Diego next week for the first in-person Winter Meetings since 2019, potentially addressing the rest of Seattle’s offseason checklist.
• Sunday, Dec. 4: HOF Contemporary Era Ballot results released (Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Schilling)
• Monday, Dec. 5: All-MLB Team announced
• Tuesday, Dec. 6: Inaugural Draft Lottery, AL/NL Relievers of Year announced
• Wednesday, Dec. 7: Rule 5 Draft
Though the Mariners addressed one of their biggest needs in acquiring Teoscar Hernández, the middle-infield void now becomes their top priority. All of the top free-agent shortstops are still available — Dansby Swanson, Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner and Carlos Correa — but signing one of them would likely move J.P. Crawford to second base, which is not Seattle’s preference, so a trade for a second baseman seems more likely.
With their options for the other corner-outfield spot not occupied by Hernández — including Jarred Kelenic, Jesse Winker, Taylor Trammell and Sam Haggerty — it’s possible the Mariners will explore adding a more established player, though it’s not a high priority.
And Seattle began addressing its bullpen reinforcements by agreeing to terms with veteran Trevor Gott on a one-year deal this week, which is expected to be made official Tuesday.
Potential trade candidates
As Dipoto often says, “you have to give to get,” and with his front office having made its most impactful transactions via trades, it’s likely it will continue to use that avenue this offseason. As one of the better organizations in pitcher development (see: Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Matt Brash, et al), Seattle has a surplus of arms it could leverage, much like the club did with Erik Swanson in acquiring Hernández.
The most logical candidate is Chris Flexen, who backed up his 2021 Pitcher of the Year performance with a solid ‘22 that ended in a bullpen role after the club acquired Luis Castillo. The 28-year-old is due $8 million after triggering a vesting option for accruing 300 innings from ‘21-22, making him an affordable starting option.
The Mariners fielded calls on Flexen at the Deadline, but the club held on to him as insurance for Kirby and Gilbert reaching career-high workloads. They also explored moving Marco Gonzales, who is due $19 million the next two years, with a $15 million team option for 2024.
If Seattle deals from its starting depth, Brash — who thrived after transitioning to the bullpen — could move back to the rotation. They also have top pitching prospect Emerson Hancock on the cusp. Speaking of…
Prospect to know: Emerson Hancock, RHP
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 Draft and the No. 2 prospect in Mariners’ system per MLB Pipeline, Hancock’s first two pro seasons were marred by injuries: first, right shoulder fatigue; then a right lat strain last Spring Training that delayed his ‘22 debut until mid-May. But once healthy, the former University of Georgia standout thrived, posting a 3.75 ERA and a 22.3% strikeout rate while holding hitters to a .219/.299/.393 (.692 OPS) slash line in 21 starts.
In a farm system that is still talented despite the recent graduations of Kirby, Brash, Julio Rodríguez and more, Hancock is perhaps the most prominent prospect on the verge of making an impact in 2023.
The Mariners have had success in the Rule 5 Draft, though with a 40-man roster that will reach 38 once Gott’s deal is official plus more pressing needs for impact talent, they may look at other avenues to find buy-low talent.
As for players they may lose in the Rule 5 Draft, reliever Travis Kuhn (No. 28 prospect) may be a candidate. As MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo recently wrote, the 19th-round Draft pick in 2019 missed a lot of bats (10.8 K/9) in Double-A in ’22, but he continued to struggle with command (5.3 BB/9) — perhaps the reason why Seattle left him and his high-90s fastball and upper-80s slider combination unprotected. That said, Kuhn fits the mold of the type of reliever who gets moved in the Rule 5 Draft.
Burning question: What will they do next?
It’s vague but also indicative of where things stand. The free-agent market has been unsurprisingly slow to develop. After returning from Thanksgiving, perhaps trade traction will heat up after Dipoto noted recently that nothing there “is particularly close.” The club has clear needs and a track record in how to address them, and it will certainly make more impact moves. But the burning question is what and when?
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