Chicago Cubs Rumors: Will the team look to trade with the Seattle Mariners?

With so much focus on the free agency market, is it possible the Chicago Cubs may look to improve by making a deal with a familiar trade partner?

Vibrations rippled throughout Major League Baseball Tuesday after Yahoo Sports MLB columnist Jeff Passan reported that the Seattle Mariners were considering cleaning house. While it may not seem related to the Chicago Cubs, whenever a team is selling, big-market teams are sure to take notice.

Seattle has been a dark horse in the American League West in recent years, but despite winning 89 games last season, they finished with a -34 run differential and in third place in their division, a distant 14 games behind the Houston Astros.

The Cubs have a unique opportunity to pry some talent away from a team that is stuck between trying to contend and tearing it down to rebuild. And they may be able to save some money in the process.

Chicago Cubs: Want Edwin Diaz? It’s a pipe dream

While the most attractive players on Seattle’s roster would unquestionably be closer Edwin Diaz (the MLB leader in saves) and Mitch Haniger (first-time All-Star who will likely be retained for a bargain contract), they would each cost a fortune to acquire.

Haniger does not really suit the Cubs anyway, seeing as Chicago already has over $100 million committed to Jason Heyward in right field for the next five years.

Diaz would be a more intriguing acquisition. The Mariners still have multiple years of team control over the 24-year-old, which makes his contract situation extremely team-friendly. And that may be an understatement, considering Diaz notched 57 saves last season with a 1.96 ERA and an absurd 1.61 FIP in addition to an astronomical 15.2 K/9 rate.

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Brandon Morrow was dynamic as the Cubs’ closer when he was healthy, but he missed the entire second half and his injury history is stacking up in a hurry. Not only is Diaz young, but his arrival would allow Morrow return to more of a setup role that could be shared with (likely) Pedro Strop. Thus, the right-hander would be spared from pitching multiple days in a row, which has proved to be a boon for his health.

The problem is that Chicago would likely have to sell the house for Diaz, starting with top prospect Adbert Alzolay and, likely, multiple big league pieces.

Of course, Diaz’s youth would seem to negate the loss of Alzolay, but the Cubs are already thin on starting pitching prospects, many of whom they need to develop quickly given the ages of the pitchers currently in the rotation.

Chicago Cubs: But who has to go?

Any deal involving Diaz or Segura is likely to include a top-level Cubs prospect (such as Alzolay or 2018 first-round pick Nico Hoerner) plus a big-league piece. Luckily, the Cubs have depth in this department.

Given their outfield depth, it is likely that the Cubs will dangle Ian Happ, Kyle Schwarber or Albert Almora while possibly capitalizing on David Bote‘s value right now.

It is highly unlikely the Cubs will merely stand pat this offseason, but they are also somewhat handicapped by financial constraints. The trade market is an excellent way to navigate these issues while exploiting a deep roster to make immediate improvements to the club.

Regardless of whether or not a deal actually gets done, the options are certainly worth exploring. Chicago had success dealing with the Mariners in 2016 to acquire Mike Montgomery, now a crucial member of the pitching staff on the North Side.

Will they partner again? Only time will tell.