Most people, I imagine, would not enjoy getting punched in the face. But if they had to choose between getting punched in the face or, say, getting hit by a truck, they would probably pick the former.
That’s essentially what Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has been dealing with this offseason. He could either go the rebuilding route and forfeit the 2019 season (at least), or keep his best players and perpetuate the M’s’ increasingly torturous mediocrity.
Monday, Dipoto made his strategy clear. He shipped ace James Paxton to the Yankees in exchange for New York’s top-rated prospect, pitcher Justus Sheffield, along with minor-league outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams and minor-league pitcher Erik Swanson.