Seattle Mariners Trade Rumors: Did Jack Zduriencik Turn Down Yankees Trade For Dustin Ackley?

Seattle Mariners trade rumors indicate general manager Jack Zduriencik got a trade offer from the New York Yankees. The Yankees wanted to deal for Dustin Ackley before the July 31 MLB trade deadline, offering outfielder Ben Gamel and outfielder/first baseman Ramon Flores to complete the trade. A report from New York Daily News baseball writer Mark Feisand states that Zduriencik wanted more, causing the negotiations to break down.

Ben Gamel and Ramon Flores are both playing for Triple-A Scranton right now, and neither has made their MLB debut with the Yankees yet. Flores is a 23-year-old outfielder and first baseman with a.289 batting average, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, and 41 runs this season. He has played in 72 games for Scranton, with the majority of his time spent in left field. He has also played right field, center field, and spent several games as the designated hitter.

Gamel is a 23-year-old left-handed outfielder who has played more of the 2015 season in center field. He has a.287 batting average with 15 doubles, 12 triples, 5 home runs, and 44 RBIs to his credit. Gamel was a 10th round pick in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, while Flores was an international free agent from Venezuela.

While these Seattle Mariners trade rumors could have netted the team two young outfielders, it appears that Jack Zduriencik didn’t feel they could make a real impact at Safeco Field. Both players obviously have some potential, but neither is ranked as one of the top 20 prospects within the New York Yankees’s organization. Ramon Flores is on the 40-man roster for New York, though, so the team does feel he has some value. Ben Gamel is a player that the Mariners could have selected in the recent Rule 5 Draft, but which they passed on.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, prior rumors about the Mariners and Zduriencik had indicated the GM was not keen on “selling” players on the 25-man roster. That included pending free agents like Hisashi Iwakuma and Austin Jackson, but might also include the underperforming Dustin Ackley. In 84 games during the 2015 MLB season, he has just a.211 batting average with six home runs and 19 RBIs. Those numbers aren’t what the team has wanted from him. He does have the ability to play really well defensively at second base, though, which is why the New York Yankees might want him.

Regarding the fan opinion of whether or not Zduriencik should have accepted this trade offer from the New York Yankees, it doesn’t appear to be one that would help the Mariners right away. While there could be some potential with Ben Gamels and Ramon Flores, it is clear the Yankees haven’t felt good enough about them to promote the outfielders past Triple-A yet. While these Seattle Mariners trade rumors might disappoint some fans, this may have ended up as nothing more than a salary dump by Zduriencik.

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