The Seattle Mariners have lost two veteran All-Stars to the offseason in Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez, with no replacements in sight. However, there may be an option that at least replaces one of them, and for a long time.
Fansided’s Zachary Rotman believes that the Mariners could make a trade, and replace their All-Stars with a younger All-Star, in Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams.
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“A team like the Seattle Mariners could be willing to meet a high asking price. Jorge Polanco is gone, and there's a good chance Eugenio Suarez will also depart in free agency, meaning the Mariners have two vacancies in their infield and not many viable external options to replace them. Trusting one young guy like Cole Young or Colt Emerson makes sense, but the Mariners probably shouldn't trust both of them to play regularly on Opening Day when they're trying to compete. Abrams would give them a clear upgrade that they desperately need in their infield. And honestly, joining a lineup with Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor might just bring the most out of his very talented bat,” Rotman wrote.
This past season, Abrams slashed.257/.315/.433/.748 with 35 doubles, 19 home runs, 60 RBI, and 31 stolen bases in 144 games played. And, going from a rebuild to an ALCS team would definitely see those numbers pumped up.
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He’d also be incredibly cheap for the Mariners. He’s going to make $4.2 million this season, and still has two years of team control left.
While he can’t replicate the offense of both All-Stars, he’ll still be a great bat to have, and unlike the veterans, he can be there for the long haul with Seattle’s young core. Hopefully, the Mariners realize this and get to work on a deal.
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