Dipoto shares how Mariners are being ‘very aggressive’ on trade market

Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto made the MLB Network rounds Monday in Dallas where the winter meetings are taking place, and he was met with a question on MLB Network Radio that opened the door to shed some light on a report by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe that the Mariners have “expressed willingness” to listen to offers for All-Star starting pitcher Luis Castillo.

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When asked about the volume of calls he gets on the Mariners’ starters, Dipoto confirmed the lines have remained hot.

“That’s what we get hit on the most,” Dipoto told hosts Steve Phillips and Eduardo Pérez. “It’s expected, especially with the young – and when I say young, guys like (Logan) Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, those guys that are that are generally affordable, controllable for years. We get hit on them a ton and we’ve been resistant to even engaging in discussion on those guys. It doesn’t make (sense).

“… We don’t feel like we get better if we talk about trading those guys. They’re the backbone of what we do, especially in our ballpark and in our environment. Run prevention is our easiest pathway to getting back to the postseason.”

Dipoto will keep his options open, but the preferred path to improvement remains an intact rotation. A willingness to listen is a far cry from actively shopping, which in the current environment could present a challenge to improving the team. When asked if he had the financial wherewithal to make additions or if he would need to get more creative, Dipoto said that unlike some teams, the Mariners had a bit of both.

“We do have the ability to add payroll and we do have some financial freedoms,” he said. “We also have the ability to be creative. This is probably the first year that we’ve been very aggressive in talking to other teams about trade targets that include the upper end of our prospect system.”

Those players include middle infielder Cole Young and first baseman Tyler Locklear, both of whom Dipoto rated as “ready to go.” Dipoto also gave spotlight to third baseman Ben Williamson, who many see as one of the best defensive third basemen in the minors and is ticketed for Triple-A to start the season.

“We do have the the good fortune of having a number of infielders that we feel are close to or major league-ready,” he said. “It gives us short or mid-term focus. We’re in pretty good shape there. We also have players that other teams would love to acquire, and they are among them, in addition to having what we think is one of the best stocked farm systems in the league.”

Dipoto seems prepared to dip deep into the farm system if needed.

“In recent years, we have made our hay in pinpointing trades where we’re moving major league players out to acquire major league players with guys who we feel fit our needs,” he said. “We haven’t had a great deal of success. We’ve not really hit on those trades. So now we have to do better. And right now the thing that we haven’t done is we haven’t gotten aggressive with our system.”

No better time than the present.

“I think we’re five wins removed from going to four consecutive postseasons,” he said. “To be that close and to be left frustrated year after year, it puts us in maybe a more aggressive mindset and we want to figure out a way to get better.”

More Seattle Mariners offseason coverage

• MLB Network’s Amsinger weighs in on biggest need for Mariners’ offense
• M’s and More: What MLB insider Jon Morosi heard before winter meetings
• Salk: No thanks on a Mariners trade for 3B Alec Bohm
• Drayer: Success of three types of hitters show what M’s need to target
• Seattle Mariners’ offensive hires show different approach to staff

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