The Mariners announced a swap of right-handers, as Justin Topa was acquired from the Brewers in exchange for minor leaguer Joseph Hernandez.
Topa has pitched in each of the last three MLB seasons, albeit in the limited fashion of 18 1/3 innings over 17 total games. The righty has an 8.35 ERA for his brief career, thanks to two particularly disastrous outings in 2021 that saw Topa charged with nine earned runs over 1 1/3 frames of work.
A flexor tendon strain sidelined Topa for most of the 2021 season, and flexor tendon surgery resulted in another trip to the 60-day injured list last season. Since the start of the 2021 campaign, Topa has thrown only 45 1/3 total innings in the majors and minors (10 2/3 IP in MLB, 34 2/3 in the minors). Injury absences have unfortunately been the story of a career that began as a 17th-round pick for the Pirates in the 2013 draft, as Topa has previously undergone two Tommy John surgeries.
Between all the health issues and even brief drops out of affiliated baseball (Topa played for indy ball teams for parts of the 2017 and 2018 seasons), Topa is a hard player to evaluate as he enters his age-32 season. However, he immediately drew attention as a possible late-blooming gem when he made his MLB debut in 2020, and posted a 2.35 ERA with 12 strikeouts and no walks over his first 7 2/3 innings. This performance earned Topa a spot on Milwaukee’s postseason roster, and he threw two scoreless innings in his lone appearance.
A hard-thrower who averaged 97.5mph on his fastball in that debut season, Topa’s velocity fell to a 95.7mph average over the last two seasons. While we’re dealing with small sample sizes all around in these three brief bits of Major League exposure for Topa, his injury situation explains the velo drop, and the next step will be seeing if he can regain any velocity now that the flexor tendon issue seems to be behind him.
The Mariners were intrigued enough by Topa to spend a 40-man roster spot on him, and Seattle also parted ways with a 22-year-old coming off a breakout season at single-A. Hernandez posted a 3.39 ERA over 116 2/3 innings in 2022, with an impressive 29.4% strikeout rate but an underwhelming 11.1% walk rate. This does at least represent some improved control from earlier in Hernandez’s career, and the righty’s swing-and-miss numbers indicated how dangerous he could be with improved command.
Hernandez started 22 of 24 games in 2022, and the Brewers will certainly continue to give the right-hander chances as as a starting pitcher. If the control problems persist, Hernandez’s ultimate future (and path to the big leagues) might come as a reliever, and he possesses an excellent slider that could be even more devastating in a limited role.
Mmmmmm… ok. Glad to see the glaring holes are still glaring.
Justin time…
Topa the line up, Curly.
This is a bad link. I almost read this as the Marlins did something. I wonder if the Marlins know how to trade players.
15 of the players on the Marlins’ 26-man roster were acquired via trade, second most in MLB behind the Rays, who have 16.
I mean the new GM…
The new gm…..? sure let’s send Sandy Alcantara back to St Louis for Matthew Libratore, and Alec Burleson? Maybe some minor leaguer to get the deal across
You are definitely wrong send the article
https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/FLA/miami-marlins-salaries-and-contracts.shtml
It lists how each player was acquired.
Joesph Hernández was imprssing everyone. This isn’t insignificant.
Topa has a plus-plus FB and plus slider…
And no command, but Seattle must think they can address that.
Most likely depth for Seattle as he has options.
Okay…….
Yea this is where baseball conversation happens. Feel free to join. Otherwise okay…
I don’t care if he has a great Facebook account.
I’m okay with this trade; I’ve admired Topa’s ability from afar prior to this. He’ll never be a pen headliner but could be a useful guy.
If that youngester they gave up for him pan’s out to anything at all major league Milwakee wins this trade
I guess it depends on your definition of “anything at all major league.” If Hernandez ends up performing at a 2022 Adam Oller or Yusei Kikuchi-level while Topa fills a low-leverage relief role for the next couple seasons, I’d absolutely rather have Topa. Plus, it isn’t like the M’s haven’t taken relievers off the scrap heap and turned them into successful relievers recently (Sewald mainly, but also Festa, Borucki, Steckenrider in 2021, etc.)
Freddy Peralta 2.0?
Business as usual.
Gotta have business as usual. It’s what keeps things going.
How many days until pitchers and catchers report?
This waiting does get tedious.
Typically Valentine’s Day, but have not heard anything yet.
6 weeks February 14th 2023
Thank you Chris Rose
Yall should tune into baseball today, great baseball podcast
I like these “we think we can fix him” type deals.
We can look back in Fall to see if they did.
Wrong Joseph Hernandez in the link. Though it would have been a very impressive trade for the Mariners if that was the guy they traded.
Righthander Joseph Hernandez was the 2022 California League Pitcher of the Year:
https://www.milb.com/news/single-a-all-stars-mvp-top-prospect-2022
It looks like it was corrected. Thanks..
“Toba party!”
“Toba, Toba, Toba, TOBA, TOBA, TOBA!”
Damn, I hate autocorrect… and what’s a Toba anyways? *facepalm*
Brewers have got rid of most of their bullpen this off season. I bet it ends up being a problem..especially losing Suter
They have guys who are going to emerge. A team that does well with player development never lacks relievers.
TBH, i’m not concerned about it too much… Topa was recovering from injury last season, so he didnt pitch much… everyone that’s gone put up relatively unimpressive numbers, and the few that performed decently (boxberger, suter etc) had their own red flags. we definitely don’t have a shortage of arms, plus RP are fairly easy to snare come trade deadline. i’m interested to see what some of these guys can do
Wait..you think losing Suter is the reason they might struggle? That’s a joke right?
Brewers are really going to miss that heater on the corner from Suter 87mph it’s impossible to catch up to lol…. I will say suter is a great clubhouse guy and a fun personality but let’s not make him out to be a cornerstone of a bullpen….
He was a workhorse. They will miss those innings is more what I meant.
Not just Suter but Boxberger, Topa and the other couple. Suter may not throw 98 but he is a workhorse.
That will be ashbys job this year and I’m ok with that far more upside
Can’t see Ashby filling Suter’s role. Way better stuff than Suter, and he’s a starter. Maybe they move him to the pen if they’re concerned about his arm/shoulder or something, but it won’t be in that role.
MIL can easily find Topas. Great trade for them to turn him into a prospect.
Watch out Astros…
Love it Jerry! With moves like these, M’s are definitely overtaking the Astros now!
How does a Justin Topa article get 25 comments ?
Trader Jerry, that’s how.
This clears a spot on the 40 for when the Miley signing becomes official. Trading an unknown relief pitcher for a starting prospect is always a bonus.
What is known is the guy has heat, terrible numbers and is hasn’t really come back from injury.
He is a Rainier!
THis is not the kind of player contending teams carry. He will spend most of his time in Tacoma.