When the MLB trade deadline dust settled, the Seattle Mariners emerged with four new players to bolster their push for an American League West title. Notably, they retained all their big-name prospects in their loaded farm system.
Mariners’ Deadline Strategy
Leading up to the deadline, many believed that at least one of the Mariners’ highly touted young players, such as Cole Young, Harry Ford, or Colt Emerson, would be traded for reinforcements. However, these prospects remained with the team, reflecting a broader trend where none of Baseball America or MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects were traded this season.
Jerry Dipoto, President of Baseball Operations for the Mariners, explained the reasoning behind this during a conversation with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Wednesday.
Quantity Over Quality
The Mariners’ most significant deadline acquisition was left fielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays, obtained in exchange for prospects Aidan Smith and Brody Hopkins. Arozarena, a 2023 All-Star under club control through 2026, was one of the top bats traded. Remarkably, the Mariners did not part with any of their top 100 prospects, despite having eight players ranked in Baseball America’s top 100 and six in MLB Pipeline’s rankings.
Dipoto explained that while Baseball America and MLB Pipeline provide accurate rankings, teams often value their prospects differently based on internal evaluations. For instance, Aidan Smith, ranked as Seattle’s No. 12 prospect by Pipeline, was viewed internally as a top-10 prospect in the Mariners’ system.
“Baseball America and MLB.com are generally accurate, but we know so much more about our players,” Dipoto said. “We traded a player we thought was inside our top ten, and eight of our top ten prospects are on those lists. We thought Aidan Smith was among that group, and so did the Rays, frankly.”
Trade Process Insights
When asked if the Mariners had received offers including top prospects like Ford, Young, or Emerson, Dipoto provided insight into the trade process without naming specific players.
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