Although he’s coming off a season filled with adversity, Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger remains an appealing trade target around the league, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription link). The Mariners would consider trading Haniger, but left-hander Marco Gonzales doesn’t appear to be available, per Rosenthal.
This arguably isn’t an ideal time for the Mariners to part with Haniger, whom a ruptured testicle limited to 283 plate appearances in 2019. When Haniger did play, he experienced a drop in production, as the 28-year-old hit .220/.314/.463 with 15 home runs and 1.1 fWAR. Before that, Haniger was somewhat quietly one of the majors’ most valuable outfielders from 2017-18, during which he slashed .284/.361/.492 with 42 homers and 7.0 fWAR across 1,093 trips to the plate.
As you’d expect, there was trade interest last winter in Haniger. The Mariners elected to hold him instead of selling high, though, and now he likely has less trade value after a difficult season. But Haniger still has three arbitration-eligible seasons left, and he’ll earn a projected $3MM in 2020 – factors that may help make him more intriguing than the best outfielders in this free-agent class (Nicholas Castellanos, Marcell Ozuna, Corey Dickerson and Yasiel Puig, to name a few).
As things stand, Haniger still looks like the Mariners’ preeminent outfielder, though they do have up-and-coming building blocks in Kyle Lewis and touted prospects Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez. While Kelenic and Rodriguez aren’t ready for the bigs yet, Lewis debuted at the game’s highest level in 2019 and impressed – albeit over just 75 PA. Rookie Shed Long also encouraged, though he may be better cut out for second base. Meanwhile, regulars Mallex Smith and Domingo Santana were merely replacement-level players in 2019.
Turning to the Mariners’ rotation, the soon-to-be 28-year-old Gonzales comes with even more control than Haniger. Gonzales still has four years remaining, including one more on the unconventional contract he signed with the Mariners last offseason. He’ll earn $1MM in 2020, which will continue to make Gonzales a steal for Seattle, with which he amassed a career-best 203 innings of 3.99 ERA/4.15 FIP pitching this year. He’s hands down the top starter the Mariners have right now, and there’s little doubt Gonzales would bring back a haul from another club. However, it doesn’t appear trade-happy general manager Jerry Dipoto is in any hurry to ship him out.
Hindsight is 20/20, but I think most of us thought Jerry should have trade Mitch during last offseason.
Think again.
I thought he should. I hate the thought of it but logic said to trade him last off-season after the “step back” concept was announced by Jerry.
100%. Looked like a 5 WAR Player with 4 Yrs of control. Now looks like a 2-3 WAR Player that’s into Arbitration entering his Age 29 season coming off an injury riddled season.
Hard to say he looks like a 2-3 win player when he just went through an injury-marred season, as you noted. Let’s see him healthy again first.
Injury marred mainly by a ruptured testicle. 1000% freak accident and has absolutely no meaning on his injury status going forward. That’s just not thinking straight.
Jerry should sell some assets to the Padres who are loaded with prospects.
Narvaez
padres have better players coming up- they don’t need Haniger they might bite on Gonzalez but doubt it- they are going to go hot and heavy after Noan Syndergaard- he has higher upside.and the Mets will stupidly field offers for him.
BVW said the Syndergaard will 100% be a Met next April.
Should have traded Haniger last year, should trade Marco now.
If the Ms are to have any type of post season success coming out of this rebuild it will come from their pitching staff. They are only going to go as far as their pitching staff can take them. If they receive quality pitching in return it seems as tho they have enough OF prospects to afford a Haniger trade. They currently don’t have enough resources to trade Gonzales. They’re not trading Marco.
Wow, what insight you have there that the author didn’t already comment on.
Antsmith that is
Hope the mariners hang on to both of them. Haniger should bounce back. Can’t always trade someone after 1 hard year.
Everybody is talking about ever
Everybody is talking about everybody!
San Diego Receives: Mitch Haniger & Omar Narvaez
Seattle Receives: Luis Patino, Luis Campusano, & Jacob Nix.
San Diego holds onto Gore but has to let go of Patino to get an All-Star Right Fielder to bolster their outfield and lineup. Not to mention Haniger is cost controlled for 3 valuable years.
The Friars also snag a sweet swinging catcher in Narvaez to pair with Hedges. Mejia’s prospect shine has dimmed a lot and I don’t think he is enough (along with Patino) to get Narvaez and Haniger so Campusano and Nix seem like a solid combo. I could see Seattle throwing in one more player like Joey Gerber.
Hitters don’t bounce back in sd and the last thing the Padres need is another .220 hitting corner outfielder with some pop.
Re: Jacob Nix, he was just DFA’d and outrighted, so anyone could have gotten him for free. He probably has negative trade value at this point
There will be no Patino in a deal for a corner outfielder
According to one website, Mitch Haniger has a surplus value of $49.5 million and Luis Patino a surplus value of $45.6 million:
baseballtradevalues.com/trade-simulator/
That’s fine. The Padres still aren’t trading Patino unless it’s a “Godfather” type deal. The kid is really talented and he’s incredibly charismatic. Him and Tatis are marketing gold.
Patino may move for Lindor/Bryant/Meadows types he ain’t moving for Renfroe ‘s cousin .. Haniger for Morejon + Arias + Naylor type package Max.. and I would have to think hard to pull the trigger
Renfroe’s cousin…what a joke comment. Haniger’s 2018 produced a 6.1 WAR. In more than 3 full seasons, Renfroe’s COMBINED WAR is 6.2. Sure, Haniger had a lot of injury issues in 2019 – issues that would make any man want to retire and head for a life in the hills away from socialization – but his ceiling is so much higher than Renfroe’s it’s not even funny.
Trade Marco Gonzalez to the Yankees for Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar.
Maybe just for Frazier.
lol
Dude what
Haniger should have been cashed in by the Mariners last offseason.
haniger will never hit for power again
You’re crazy..
What a ballsy statement. That’s about all Haniger hit for last season, actually.
“Ballsy.” Well played!
Just testin’ ya
Haniger is going to decline, especially when they are just going to lose. If the mariners want to trade Gonzalez for Frazier and a spare part (Wade, Higgy, etc) I’d do it. Not trading Andújar off an injury year for a #4 type starter.
Over the past two seasons Seattle lefthander Marco Gonzales has ranked 23rd among all pitchers with 7.1 fWAR. As points of reference, over the same period James Paxton posted 7.2 fWAR, Luis Severino 5.9 fWAR, Masahiro Tanaka 5.7 fWAR and J.A, Happ 4.2 fWAR..
With 30 MLB teams, Gonzales is hardly a No. 4-type starter.
Why would the M’s trade for Frazier????? He’s an OF! Didn’t you read the article? The M’s have OF’s. What they don’t have is infield prospects depth and more young pitching doesn’t hurt. So Frazier?! Yeah that’s moronically funny!
As far as Haniger being traded, hindsight is always 20/20. Mitch is still a piece you can build around. But the M’s should NOT sell low on him. Marco isn’t going anywhere either with that much club control.
Should be an interesting offseason.
IIRC, the Braves were asking about Haniger last year. He’d be a fine add this year.
He’d be an incredible add. A future OF of Acuna, Pache, Haniger would be scary – knowing Waters would be involved in the package.
Could haniger be had for edmundo sosa, Harrison Bader, and ponce de leon?
This article should come with a graphic content advisory warning.
Padres, Reds, Giants, Indians, Phillies, Braves, Mets (as a CF), Red Sox (if they trade Bradley), and the Dbacks (depending on when Cars to arrives) are all teams that could use Haniger in 2020. Jerry will have options on the trade front.
“Cars to” should read “Varsho.” Thanks autocorrect.
Forgot the White Sox
Mets already have Conforto playing out of position in CF no reason to go after him to play him out of position.
Haniger can handle CF. He has done so in the past.
Red Sox also if they find a way to trade Betts
Trading Marco Gonzales would be a big mistake at this point or possibly at any point. The earliest they should trade Haniger is after the 2020 season after a solid bounceback year. As a side note they should also keep Mallex Smith until the end of 2021
Benji- exactly! Trading Gonzales is a terrible idea. He’s a known commodity, a proven SP who can continue to improve as he gets older. We don’t know how Sheffield and Dunn will handle a full season in the rotation and who knows if Kikuchi will turn things around. Why trade your best SP? Not happening
Probably wait till July to trade Haniger at the earliest if he can bounce back
Ya. Gotta get a good fair haul in return. Kelenic will have to stay hot up to that point and the rest of the year. He would have some big shoes to fill but he’s capable
Baseball GMs aren’t as short sighted as many of you. Haniger still had value he hardly had time to do anything. He got off to a bad start and then a freak accident. I don’t know if I ever heard out anyone doing that before.
He has 3 years of control left and can play RF or CF. Huge is a perennial AS OFer. That what he was that what they will see. I am sure clubs will try to buy low but Jerry isn’t selling low. He doesn’t have to. If he gets a haul he will probably do it. KelenicI think surprised everyone along with Rodriguez. He also shouldn’t have traded him last year he didn’t know he had the players he had.
Agree but Jerry will move him at the trade deadline if he had a bounce back year for a haul from a desperate team looking at making the playoffs. This gives Jerry time to see what he has and there is no rush to deal Mitch now so stop with your weak trade offers.
Only a fool would NOT want Mitch Haniger on their team! Part of his slow start last season I think was because he became the face of the franchise almost overnight thanks to all the wheeling and dealing Trader Jerry did! He mustered a mere .220 avg true, BUT hit 15 HR’s, had .778 OPS and a 109 OPS+(100 being avg) and 1.4 WAR in just 246 AB’s, so in a down year by his standards, with tons more pressure out of the gates(remember M’s started the season 13-2 and some people…not me…were thinking playoff run) He still was moderately BETTER than average on the diamond(and he’s even better OFF the diamond!) As for the ‘Injury concern’…DUDE He Ruptured a Testicle, That’s not really a baseball-related injury, Very rare to see this kind of injury in any sport(just make sure you wear a cup…LOL) I’m sure Mitch would’ve LOVED to have the usual baseball-related injury! ;) I would hang on to him for now and if no offer blows me away I’m just fine with keeping him around at a bargain price to teach the onslaught of young talent coming up how to play the game the right way! GO M’s!!!
Haniger will bounce back big time in 2020. He’s a consummate pro.