Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
TheSeattle Marinersare certainly doing their share of wheeling and dealing these days asRobinson Cano,Corey HartandLogan Morrisonare now in the fold. More deals may be on the horizon. There are now rumors that the Mariners are interested in trading forTampa Bay RayspitcherDavid Price.
A starting rotation that includes Price,Felix Hernandez, andHisashi Iwakumais certainly exciting to imagine. However there is one small barrier. The Rays reportedly wantTaijuan Walkerin any package for Price.
Bad idea.
I suppose if the Mariners have truly shifted to a “win now” philosophy, the acquisition of Price would make a certain amount of sense. There are indications that Price is not a fan of the Pacific Northwest and would not be particularly open to signing a long-term deal with the M’s. Then again, the Mariners were able to lure Cano, so who knows? Maybe Price would come to love the pitcher-friendly confines ofSafeco Field.
The worry is that this would turn into a deal that ends up on one of those “Top Ten Worst Trades” lists. Since Walker is regarded as an ace in the making, you would hate to see the team give up a future star that dominates for a decade in return for a guy that might stay two years.
Of course, prospects do fail to pan out sometimes. There are no guarantees with Walker.
If you trade someone like Walker, you are almost saying that you believe the franchise can win a World Series in the next 2-3 seasons. Even with the additions to this team, it is hard to imagine the Mariners as an instant contender.
Ultimately, this rumor does not seem like it is going to happen. But, the Mariners are being quite aggressive these days. Perhaps they will push the Rays and make them an offer that is hard to turn down.
Please like us onFacebookand follow onTwitter
Add us as a preferred source onGoogleLoading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations