2018-2019 offseason trades

[smg58]

The Rays and the Mariners made a trade revolving primarily around catcher Mike Zunino (.210/.259/.410 last year) going to the Rays and centerfielder Mallex Smith (.296/.367/.406, with 40 steals) going to Seattle. Rotoworld described it as the beginning of a potential fire sale in Seattle, but I actually think the Mariners got the much better player.

[seawolf17]

Absolutely. Zunino can't hit his way out of a paper bag, but he's still relatively young. But Smith is younger and better. Weird trade, but catching is ephemeral.

[Benjamin Grimm]

They would be wise, then, not to put him in a paper bag.

[smg58]

I'm worried that the market for catchers has just been set too high. Of course, it could also mean that the market for centerfielders has just been set too low.

[Frayed Knot]

Zunino was a one-time #3 overall draft pick by the M's (2012) out of U-Florida and hit well right out of the box in high-A & AA so there'll always be someone willing to take a chance that that talent
is lurking around hidden somewhere just waiting to bust out. Well, there won't always be someone thinking that, but at least until he's 30 there will be and he'll be just 28 next spring.
Smith, in addition to being MLB's best Mallex ever, is more a slap and run kind of guy but (looking it up) he had himself a nice year for Tampa in what was his first full(ish) season (480 ABs) at age
25 after not looking like a whole lot during his Braves debut two years prior.


P.S. it's also a five player deal in all, not just Zunino for Smith straight-up

[seawolf17]

I was also surprised that Zunino was that young. I feel like he's been bouncing around as a prospect for years.