Mariners Acquire Ryan Garton, Mike Marjama From Rays

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto is at it again. Shortly after the team’s Yonder Alonso trade with the Athletics, Dipoto announced that Seattle has acquired right-hander Ryan Garton and catcher Mike Marjama from the Rays for two minor leaguers – left-hander Anthony Misiewicz and infielder Luis Rengifo – and a player to be named later. Garton and Marjama will report to Triple-A Tacoma, tweets Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. To make room for their new additions, the Mariners designated catcher Tuffy Gosewisch for assignment.

The only player in the trade with major league experience is the 27-year-old Garton, who debuted in the majors in 2016 and has also seen action this season. Garton did passable work in 39 1/3 innings and 37 appearances out of the Rays’ bullpen last season (4.35 ERA, 7.55 K/9, 2.52 BB/9 and a 45.2 percent ground-ball rate), but this year has been a different story. Across 10 1/3 frames prior to the trade, Garton allowed 10 earned runs on 13 hits and five walks, with nine strikeouts. He has dominated Triple-A hitters in 2017, however, with a 1.64 ERA, 12.55 K/9 against 4.36 BB/9 and a 51.5 percent grounder rate in 33 frames.

Marjama, 28, is joining his third organization since the White Sox used a 23rd-round pick on him in 2011. In his first taste of Triple-A ball this year, he has batted a solid .274/.342/.445 in 292 plate appearances.

Misiewicz, meanwhile, was an 18th-rounder in 2015. The 22-year-old ascended to the Double-A ranks this season and has notched a 4.35 ERA with 6.97 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 41 1/3 innings (seven starts).

Unlike Misiewicz, the 20-year-old Rengifo ranked among the Mariners’ top 30 prospects before the trade, according to MLB.com, which placed him at No. 27. The outlet notes that the 2014 international signing from Venezuela, a switch-hitter, “has a short, compact swing from both sides of the plate,” “above-average speed” and the range and arm strength necessary to make him a quality defensive infielder. Rengino has shown off his speed this year with 29 steals at the Single-A level, to go with a .250/.318/.413 line and 11 home runs in 450 PAs.

As for the 33-year-old Gosewisch, whom the Mariners claimed off waivers from the Braves in January, he appeared in 11 big league games back in May and limped to an .071/.103/.071 batting line in 31 tries. Gosewisch has generally been unusable with the bat during his career, having slashed .190/.228/.271 in 447 PAs between Arizona and Seattle, though he has thrown out 35 percent of would-be base thieves on the defensive side.