Jerry Dipoto loves club control, and why wouldn’t he? For a team with a very confusing window, the Mariners can find a sense of certainty in players with club control.
Rentals can be fun for a team in World Series contention – which I still believe the Mariners are – but seldom do the ends justify the means. With very little prospect capital to begin with, trading for a costly rental would surely be a death knell for the Mariners shortly thereafter.
If you’re going to gut your resources, you may as well make the most out of it; even if it means acquiring a player of less caliber than their rental counterpart.