The Seattle Mariners are reportedly shopping outfielder Mark Trumbo and talking to the Rockies among other teams in trying to trade him, reports Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune confirmed the report and says the Mariners are “trying hard” to deal the slugger.
Sources: #Rockies among teams talking to #Mariners about Trumbo. Tender deadline midnight tomorrow; M’s could tender Trumbo, then trade him.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 1, 2015
Trumbo’s value isn’t very high. The Mariners acquired him mid-season from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a five-player deal with hopes he’d revitalize their offense, which never really happened. He stumbled right out of the gate with the club, hitting .139 in his first 22 games. Seattle was well under .500 when he finally turned things around in the latter half of the season, finishing with a .263 average and hitting 13 home runs in 96 games. On the season, Trumbo hit 22 home runs, with a .262 average and a .310 OBP.
When healthy, Trumbo is reliable for 20-30 home runs, which is great, but the 29-year-old’s lack of getting on base is problematic. Trumbo sported back-to-back under .300 OBPs in 2013 and 2014 before breaking over the hump in 2015. He’s a high-strikeout batter who doesn’t offer much more than power.
Now he’s projected to receive $9 million in arbitration, so it’s not surprising Jerry Dipoto is shopping him. He’s the GM that traded Trumbo from the Los Angeles Angels to the D-Backs in the first place. You could argue Trumbo’s a non-tender candidate, but given his power, the Mariners are probably hoping they can get a decent return for him.
The Rockies actually make perfect sense as a trade target. While Trumbo’s contract would be a lot to take on, his bat would play perfectly to the Colorado air. With the Rockies outfield set, Trumbo would most likely take over for free agent Justin Morneau at first base. Although, Trumbo would probably be better suited in the AL where he can DH.
There may not be a ton of suitors for Trumbo’s services. He could probably be had for a team looking for power on the cheap. Another team reportedly interested is the Orioles, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman.
orioles are another team in on trumbo. @Ken_Rosenthal wrote 1st about his availability & rox. https://t.co/yzTNwA7FDz
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 1, 2015
