Seattle Mariners Executive Jerry Dipoto Could Make First-Ever Trade With AL Club
The Seattle Mariners are still looking to find answers in their infield.
The Mariners are still in need of a first, second and third baseman. And after a blitz of transactions involving first basemen the week before Christmas, a potential second base fix was taken off the board on Dec. 27 when Gleyber Torres signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers.
The deal came with confirmation from Tigers General Manager Scott Harris that Torres will be the team's everyday second baseman and Colt Keith will move to first.
That leaves one Detroit player's fate uncertain. And that can lead to Seattle President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto making his first-ever trade with the American League Central club.
Spencer Torkelson, who played first base and designated hitter for the Tigers in 2024, seems to be without a role for 2025. At the very least, he doesn't have the confirmation that he'll be a full-time starter.
According to a tweet from Yahoo Sports reporter Jordan Shusterman, Detroit, the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Angels are the only three teams that Dipoto hasn't made a trade with during his 15 seasons as a GM or President of Baseball Operations.
the Tigers are one 1 of 3 teams (Angels, Rockies) that Jerry Dipoto has never made a trade with since joining the Mariners... https://t.co/DNvHstSxOP
— Jordan Shusterman (@j_shusterman_) December 27, 2024
Many potential, or likely trade partners, for Seattle like the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox are unlikely to make deals with the Mariners due to moves they've made in the offseason. And Torkelson's uncertain future might lead Dipoto to making his major transaction of the offseason with the Tigers.
If Dipoto does trade for Torkelson, he would likely be the right-handed bat the Mariners have been trying to find to platoon with Luke Raley. Our very own Brady Farkas talked about potentially acquiring Torkelson in a deal.
For the first time in 12,692 at-bats, Spencer Torkelson has hit a home run#RepDetroit
— Barstool Detroit (@BSMotorCity) May 12, 2024
pic.twitter.com/oFFzngIMMz
Torkelson won't enter his first year of arbitration until 2026 and is set to earn $800,000 in pre-arbitration in 2025, according to Spotrac.
Torkelson isn't the caliber of player Seattle missed out on like Christian Walker or Josh Naylor. He also isn't to the level of still-available slugger Pete Alonso.
But the Mariners are running out of options to find solutions for the holes in their roster. And that might lead to the Tigers and Seattle making the first deal of the Jerry Dipoto era.
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