Blockbuster Mets trades that upgrade the team at third base

The last time the Mets traded with the Seattle Mariners, it did not turn out too well for them. Edwin Diaz has been nothing short of a bust so far, and Robinson Cano, despite his great offensive performance in 2020, got himself suspended for PED use for the 2021 season. Meanwhile, the Mariners are seeing glimpses or close to watching the former Mets prospects that they receive contribute meaningfully to the team’s rebuilding efforts. Justin Dunn made his MLB debut last season, and Jarred Kelenic, the highly touted outfielder, is expected to debut sometime in 2021.

But there is a match to be had here. With the ongoing youth movement in the Pacific Northwest, there is little need for the Mariners to continue to hold onto Kyle Seager, the veteran third baseman who has spent his entire career with the Mariners. Seager, as a 33-year-old third baseman, is not the type of player a rebuilding team needs.

Kyle Seager would be an upgrade for the Mets while allowing the Mariners to move forward with Ty France, their third baseman of the future, as their starting third baseman.

While Seager never reached the level that his younger brother Corey has eclipsed, he has consistently profiled as a slightly above-average third baseman with a solid bat and decent glove, as evidenced by winning a Gold Glove Award in 2014. After a mediocre 2019 season, Seager had a stronger year in 2020, which should assuage teams that he still has a couple of years of productive baseball in him.

Over the course of 60 games in 2020, Seager hit 9 home runs and 40 RBI with a 122 OPS+, which is above the league average. On top of that, Seager showcased better defense than the majority of third basemen in the majors.

Despite his performance slowly declining the past year or so, Seager can still be a valuable veteran piece for a team looking to compete. As a result, Seager fits in better with the Mets contending timeline than with the Mariners timeline.

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A trade from Seattle will make way for the Mariners youth movement while giving the Mets a veteran third baseman who would be an overall upgrade at the position. If he were to get traded, Seager would have the option of exercising a $15 million player option for 2022. Considering how tepid and frigid the free agent market has been, particularly for older players, it is reasonable to expect that Seager would seriously consider exercising that option if he were dealt.