Mariners, Mets reportedly have agreed on trade that sends Robinson Canó, Edwin Díaz to New York
Dec 1, 2018, 8:12 PM
Closer Edwin Díaz and 2B Robinson Canó headline the Mariners' reported trade with the Mets. (AP)
(AP)
The blockbuster trade that will send Robinson Canó and Edwin Díaz to the Mets in exchange for Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzak and prospects Jarred Kelenic, Justin Dunn and Gerson Bautista has been agreed to by all parties, and is final pending physicals, according to numerous national reports Saturday evening.
M’s offseason trades: Colomé to ChiSox | Paxton to NYY | Zunino to Rays
The deal is expected to be completed and officially announced Monday.
In addition to Canó – who waived his no-trade clause – and Díaz, the Mariners will reportedly send $20 million in cash to the Mets to help offset some of the $120 million still owed Canó over the five years left on his contract. With Bruce and Swarzak owed approximately $36 million over the next two seasons, the Mariners will ultimately end up saving over $64 million in dealing Canó.
The move is a dramatic step in Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto’s “re-imagining” of the Mariners’ roster, and it is perhaps more indicative of a ‘tear down’ than a ‘step back’ in building a team that can sustain winning. With prospects there are never guarantees, but the majority of the reviews of this trade on the national stage seem to favor the Mariners, at least in the long term.
Díaz and Canó will no doubt help the Mets who with new GM Brodie Van Wagenen are currently, and curiously, in a very similar position to where the Mariners were three years ago when a newly-hired Dipoto was tasked with adding on to a veteran Mariners core in hopes of making the postseason.
Unlike Dipoto’s previous trades this offseason, the deal with the Mets does not bring back a significant ‘help-now’ type player. This trade is more about the future, with 2018 No. 6 overall draft pick Kelenic, who some scouts believe has superstar potential, just 19 and still years out of appearing in the majors. One scout I talked to believed that Dunn, who finished the 2018 season at Double-A, could progress quickly and might see the bigs by the end of 2019 on a Mariners team that is not expected to compete.
Regardless of arrival time, in dealing Díaz the Mariners have picked up another organization’s No. 3 and No. 4 top prospects, players who should have long term impact.
We will have more when the trade is official.
A look at the 5 players M’s reportedly will get from the Mets in trade
