The Mariners already completed one trade today, sending Robbie Ray to the Giants in exchange for Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani and cash considerations, and have now completed a second. They are sending infielder José Caballero to the Rays in exchange for outfielder Luke Raley, per announcements from both clubs.
“We’re thrilled to add Luke Raley to the middle of our lineup as a left-handed bat with positional versatility,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in that club’s press release. “Offensively, Luke brings power paired with game-changing baserunning and instincts. He’s also a solid defender across multiple positions, adding further flexibility to our lineup on a nightly basis.”
Raley, now 29, was drafted by the Dodgers and made a brief major league debut with them in 2021. He was traded to the Rays and then got some more limited MLB time in 2022. He finally got his first extended stretch of time in the big leagues last year and ran with it. He took 406 plate appearances over 118 games in 2023, striking out at a 31.5% clip but also hitting 19 home runs. His overall batting line of .249/.333/.490 translated to a wRC+ of 130, indicating he was 30% better than league average. He also stole 14 bases in 17 tries and received solid grades for his outfield defense while also spending a bit of time at first base.
Despite that strong performance, Raley was part of a crowded outfield mix that also featured Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe and José Siri in regular roles. Yandy Díaz is set to likely be the everyday first baseman, while players like Harold Ramírez, Jonathan Aranda, Jonny DeLuca and others were in the mix for playing time as well. With Raley now out of options, he needed to be kept on the active roster or else be removed from the 40-man entirely.
In Seattle, the path to playing time should be more smooth. That club let Teoscar Hernández reach free agency without making him a qualifying offer and also traded Jarred Kelenic to Atlanta. They have since added Mitch Garver to be their primary designated hitter, and take a share of the catching time from Cal Raleigh, while Haniger was acquired earlier today to join the corner outfield mix.
Julio Rodríguez is entrenched in center but Raley and Haniger could perhaps take the corner regularly, with players like Cade Marlowe, Taylor Trammell and Dominic Canzone also a part of that corner outfield picture. At first base, Ty France has been the regular in Seattle for the past three years but his production dipped in 2023. If that continues into this year, Raley gives them a fallback option for that position.
The Rays mostly shielded Raley from left-handed pitchers, with 363 of his 406 plate appearances coming with the platoon advantage last year. His high strikeout rate also doesn’t mesh with Seattle’s stated intention to cut down in that department, but the power, speed and defense make him enticing nonetheless. He’s also still at least a year away from reaching arbitration, meaning he fits well on a club with financial concerns like the Mariners. He can be controlled for another five seasons before qualifying for free agency.
Caballero, 27, made his major league debut with the Mariners last year, getting into 104 games. He hit .221/.343/.320 in his 280 plate appearances, drawing a walk in 10% of them. That production amounted to a wRC+ of 96, indicating he was just 4% below league average. But he also stole 26 bases in 29 tries and received strong grades for his defense at the two middle infield positions, as well as spending small amounts of time at third base and left field.
The ability to play shortstop likely appeals to the Rays, who have plenty of uncertainty there. Wander Franco once seemed to be firmly entrenched in that position, having signed an 11-year extension going into the 2022 season. But he is currently under investigation for allegedly having inappropriate relationships with minors and it’s unknown when, if ever, he will play a Major League Baseball game again.
Assuming Franco isn’t an option in 2024, the Rays have guys like Taylor Walls, Junior Caminero and Osleivis Basabe as potential shortstops on the roster. However, none of that trio is a lock to hold down the job this year. Walls and Basabe are broadly considered strong defenders but weaker at the plate while Caminero is generally considered the opposite. Basabe and Caminero both have less than 100 major league plate appearances.
Caballero’s first taste of MLB action was subpar, but only slightly so. He’s always hit well in the minors, perhaps leaving some room for him to continue developing with more exposure to major league pitching. He still has a full slate of options and less than a year of service time, meaning he can be a long-term part of the Rays’ roster if things click.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the framework of the deal while Jeff Passan of ESPN first relayed that it had been completed.
CarryABigStick
We need 3 Caballeros to make it a deal.
Eatdust666
Lol
rememberthecoop
We are the 3 Amigos!!
Shadow_Banned
Someone’s getting the better end of this deal someone’s getting Raled
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
Caballero is seriously undervalued by everyone, to prove my point, the Rays just “overpaid” for him. That’s as clear of a sign of confidence as you get. Caballero is easily one of the best defensive 2B in the game, ranking alongside Andres Gimenez in defensive runs when extrapolated out for innings played. His baserunning is just slightly below Corbin Carroll who just put up one of the best seasons for a baserunner in the past couple decades. When you consider all the screwing around they did with his playing time in the second half, which coincided with his statistical dropoff. I would not be surprised to see him regularly produce 3-4 wins in Tampa and take over as an above-average SS, since Wander Franco looks like a soon-to-be distant memory. Compared to a guy who has roundly the same amount of success and one less year of control, this makes a lot of sense for both teams. Raley is slightly above-average across the board, but is older. Caballero, is probably average with the bat when you consider his excellent ability to get on base and work the count, as well as his crazy mastery of the pitch clock. Combined with elite defense, speed, and baserunning, he’s every bit the value that Raley brings back to Seattle. Unfortunately, we need offense more than we need a high floor middle infielder. I wish it was Urias leaving, I can’t see him gone fast enough.
alwaysgo4two
Good news as a Rays fan. Raley slumped most of the last couple of months last year. Selling high? The Rays way.
CeruleanDrew
Always, what you say is true but he was injured in August (injured knee) and September (cervical sprain).
Stevil
You might want to take a look at Caballero’s September splits.
alwaysgo4two
True, but he wasn’t the same and the Rays were getting loaded in the OF.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Just like the way the Rays excised Austin Meadows. That deal turned out nicely. Where’s that Tiger fan crowing about the utility guy they peddled for Meadows?
StusFirstDollar
Also, Luke Raley wasn’t right after running over that trainer in the pregame. (rays fan)
Stevil
That accident injured his neck and it affected the feeling in his arms. It’s likely why his September was what it was.
But he’s presumably healthy now. He had to pass a physical for the trade to happen.
Ejemp2006
Caballero is my pick to win the batting title next year. I think this guy is Dee Gordon 2.0.
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
Hopefully for Rays fans, you’re talking the Marlins version of Dee Gordon, because the Mariners version was horrible.
Stevil
I like Caballero, but this was his first season in which he played more than 70 games, and with Seattle having Moore & Haggerty in the mix, they were able to be really selective with matchups in the second half. The same could generally be said about Raley’s use with the Rays, but it’s worth noting he was facing more LHPs in the second half (and started to find success against them while struggling with RHPs).
Caballero makes a lot of sense for the Rays, because they needed a stopgap SS while Walls is out. He can eventually slide into a platoon at 2B with Lowe.
But Seattle didn’t need Caballero. They get more electricity from Moore & Haggerty, and they have Bliss set to debut at some point in 2024. They’re still rich with right-handed-hitting middle-infielders for the bench.
Raley gives Seattle the left-handed power they never got from Kelenic and he’ll serve as the primary reserve center fielder. He’ll presumably see the lion’s share of PAs in LF.
Both teams traded players with limited success that address specific–and very different–needs. But if I were given the option of a power lefty outfielder who can play some 1B or a soft-hitting right-handed-hitting middle infielder to face LHPs, I’ll take the lefty every time.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Caballero has a higher OBP than SLG, which always disconcerts me whenever I see it in a slash line. I wonder if that is necessarily always a bad thing, or if situations arise when it could be a good thing…
Ejemp2006
If you did a little fun and counted his stolen bases as extra base hits, then his OPS would be like .776
Just saying, his speed and baserunning skills make him extra valuable and he’s at the age where the Rays might get to cash in on his 1.5-2 year peak.
Stevil
If you were to do the same for Raley, his OPS would be nearly 1.ooo.
I don’t think most fans realize that Raley has speed and is an excellent baserunner. That was likely a huge part of the attraction for Seattle, as he can cover CF when Julio needs a break.
Both teams traded from areas of strength and got what they needed. Seattle needed a left-handed, middle-order power bat they can plug into center when needed; Tampa got their stopgap SS they can eventually use at 2B to face LHPs..
Both players have small sample sizes of success, but both impressed in the minors as well.
Stevil
Speed is an often undervalued tool, but it isn’t a replacement for power.
Caballero will likely see a lot of PAs early, but once Walls is back, Tampa is likely going to do what Tampa does: platoon him, meaning he’s going to face mostly LHPs.
I’d be surprised if he gets to 400 PAs.
Stevil
MLB players aren’t ‘trash’ and Walls is an elite defender.
I hope you’re not a gambling man, because betting against Walls being their shortstop wouldn’t be wise.
But don’t take my word for it, try a little research through Tampa-based sites and videos from their perspective.
Stevil
The top 6 teams in ISO were all in the postseason, including the World Series Champions, the Texas Rangers. The Astros were 8th. Teams are understanding the value of power has changed as pitchers are throwing harder and missing more bats.
This might be a good time to remind you that Raley has both speed and power.
That should be enough on this. I understand that you’re a fan of Caballero, but he was clearly going to be the odd-man out of the infield mix. And time proved that to be the case.
Hopefully he’ll do well for Tampa and Raley will be even better for Seattle.
Stevil
Power isn’t Cabby’s game. It would be a problem if he was a regular and struck out a lot. But as a utility infielder who will likely be platooned once Walls is healthy, his skillset & tools are perfectly fine–especially given Tampa’s surplus of right-handed power..
Stevil
You really have no idea who I am, do you?
GFY
Stevil
It was enough and you’re going on mute.
horaceallen
On the surface this looks like a good move for the M’s. But the Rays don’t generally lose trades. This could be interesting.
The Baseball Fan
Look at Caballeros hit by pitch numbers! Truly astonishing. Makes this seem like such a rays move, I agree. It will be interrogated see how this pans out.
RedFraggle
Interrogated?
The Baseball Fan
Interested. Whoops
Roidville Slugger
Yes. VERY interrogated!
mrmackey
About as interrogated as Wander?
The Baseball Fan
Not quite. He wandered away from his interrogation
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
Come on, why does everyone have to be a little girl about that situation?!
ayrbhoy
Cabby is definitely not afraid to hover over the plate, that dude is not afraid of ANYTHING or anyone! He was certainly not afraid to speak his mind when Maldonado started barking at him!
TMQ
Raley actually was hit more
marinersblue96
Raley is arb eligible and with the Wander looking unlikely playing this year may just be dumping salary even quicker than Seattle.
alwaysgo4two
Or the Rays are doing what they normally do….sell high. The second half Raley didn’t fare as well as the first half Raley.
Dregur
Raley is not arb eligible until 2026.
wvsteve
Do they had to pay wander? Or is his contract void?
mlb fan
All sports contracts have morals clauses. If Wander is eventually found guilty his contract will be voided because his behavior is potentially a breach of contract.
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
It’s not voided…. Yet! But yeah, it’s pretty clear the next time anyone sees Franco, he’ll just be Wander-ing around somewhere in prison!
filihok
TGWAA
“it’s pretty clear the next time anyone sees Franco, he’ll just be Wander-ing around somewhere in prison!”
Venn diagram: people who were sure Bauer was innocent and people who are sure Franco is guilty
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
filihok blocks me from replying, but has no problem commenting on my posts!
Bauer what?! I never thought Bauer was guilty of anything other than bad choice in women and being too kinky.
I’m not going to pretend everyone does missionary or we need to know what happens between consenting adults.
The point is pretending Franco isn’t seriously in trouble or looking guilty, shows a total lack of court room knowledge.
filihok
TGWAA
“pretending Franco isn’t … looking guilty shows a total lack of court room knowledge”
Guessing that you’ve seen exactly as much evidence as I have. None
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
filihok, the MLBTR window warrior, keeps talking trash (makes me wonder if you’re an Astros fan) without a reply button.
As someone with extensive legal knowledge, I would say that when they bring him up for indictment, they have a strong enough case to move forward. They also arrested the woman who sold him her daughter supposedly. Even a fool like you who watches even an episode or two of Law & Order understands an indictment is the bringing of formal charges, right? That only happens when they are almost guaranteed to get a guilty verdict.
As far as the case goes…
Puedo leer los documentos judiciales y artículos periodísticos sobre el caso en español.
(I can read court documents and newspaper articles about the case in Spanish)
JoeBrady
Venn diagram: people who were sure Bauer was innocent and people who are sure Franco is guilty
========================
There is a 3rd category of people, and we are not a tiny minority. We’d actually prefer to see the evidence. and THEN decide, As opposed to deciding, then seeing the evidence,
filihok
TGWAA
“Blah blah blah”
Based on the assumptions that you assert as facts here, all the “legal knowledge” in the world won’t do you any good.
You appear to be saying that because he’s been indicted that he’s guilty.
That’s…you know…bad. And dumb. And would immediately get you nixed from any jury
And spare me the “I didn’t say that” mierde de toro.
I’d walk you though the logic, but it’d be a waste of time.
filihok
JB
“There is a 3rd category of people”
There are infinite categories of people
TMQ
There has been zero evidence provided to show Franco is guilty
TMQ
Lol indictments are easy to get while guilty verdicts aren’t even remotely similar. Your extensive knowledge of the legal system is clearly lacking.
BuddyBoy
Raley isn’t arb eligible until 2026
knolln
ya i think the main point of the move from the Ms perspective. with his age and service time, they’ll get his prime years age wise, maybe a breakout, maybe not, and never have to pay him much of anything substantial even if he’s a good everyday player for 5 years and he walks at 34
Rsox
Raley isn’t that hard to replace and the Rays are adding more Infield depth as it is all but certain we won’t be seeing Wander Franco on the field anytime soon.
The M’s seem to have fixed their OF in one day as Raley and Haniger should bookend Julio Rodriguez next season. It does however take away a 2B option so unless the M’s add a 2B Josh Rojas will likely lineup there with Urias at 3B
solaris602
Raley can platoon with Haniger in RF, so that makes sense. LF can be a competition in ST between their internal options. DiPoto is doing the best he can to cobble together a lineup that doesn’t make it look like ownership punted this winter.
Rsox
Could be. I forgot about Marlowe and Canzone. Either way on paper the Outfield is deeper than it was yesterday.
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
Being on the injured list all year is not platooning, just saying.
Poolhalljunkies
The rays arent exactly fleecing teams either for every glasnow(looked better till he was always injured) or arozarena deal..you can see others more even or that they lost..like willy adames (even) or blake snell (looks like sd won that)
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
Listen, say what you want, but the Rays always fleece Jerry and the Mariners. They spank us everytime like we’re filming a fetish video!
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
@Thank_God What were some trades with TB where the Mariners got fleeced? It wasn’t JT Chargois for Diego Castillo.
Chester Copperpot
Zunino for Fraley
knolln
just add yandy and paredes and fairbanks and to a lesser extent ramirez and siri trades that went well and yes that is all the terriffic trades on the current roster (minus glasnow being gone). that’s pretty decent, recent success.
bwood
baseball-reference.com/friv/trade-partners.cgi?fra…
vaderzim
Now we’re talking!
Fred Park
Here I have been griping about the lack of Mariners news. So we suddenly get a ton of stuff that makes no sense whatsover.
Trader Jerry has gone completely batshxx crazy.
That’s the only thing that makes sense.
marinersblue96
I love this move for the M’s.
algionfriddo
On the surface, to me at least… Dipoto did GREAT!
Murphy NFLD
I think he did a great job aswell and even as a jays fan im a big fan of trader Jerry. I have to say tho IMO What AA did in getting Chris Sale for 22M over 2 years has the potential to be the best move this off season. Even as a 5th starter in FA guys get 11 as a floor and we all know even with injuries Sale is no 5th starter. Even if they get 200 innings out of him over 2 years they still could come out ahead. Although the floor of Jerrys moves are much higher and its pretty smooth to to what he did today
slund24
Why? They traded a long term salary and got players that can help this year. Raley is a good OF, not sure how much Haniger will help but DeSclafani gives pitching depth. Ray isn’t expected back until after the trade deadline if at all this year and I loved Caballero but he’s a Utility IF thats not playing everyday.
Seamaholic
Yeah I’d take their side in both these deals.
SLL
And Ray has that opt-out after this season. If he comes back and does well down the stretch, he leaves for free agency. If he stinks, the Mariners were stuck. I was glad to see that trade.
I like this Raley trade, too.
ohyeadam
Another deal coming for Polanco to replace Caballero?
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
Jerry came back from vacation to find Justin (Hollander) just sitting there playing games on his phone and lost it, so he called all his favorite trade partners. He stuck it to the Giants as usual, and feeling guilty, he decided to take it from the Rays. When he was done, he slammed down his phone and said, “that’s what I’m talking about Holl-y (what I assume is his emasculating nickname for Justin)!” Then after he walks out of Justin’s office, Jerry sticks his head back through the door and says, “by the way, I’m obviously going to go need a new phone, can you go down to T-Mobile for me…. You know the phone store… Not the park… We’re at the park… You know what I mean…. Right., okay than!” He then can be heard walking away humming ‘We Are the Champions’ by Queen.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
I’m a big fan of Dipoto…Hollander not so much, he comes across as a greeter at the Mormon Temple down the street or perhaps a younger Ned Flanders.
Travis’ Wood
Both moves are incredible for Seattle lol
pennantrace01
There’s nothing wrong with either of these moves for SEA. Robby Ray is a shot fighter and Cabby is a utility player on a good team. Two potentially solid near every day players in return is a no brainer.
nacb55
I don’t understand how Caballero accounted for 2.4 war with his 4 HRs, 221 ave low ops… I’m a bit confused. Obviously defense must be good- but that number seems inflated or the average production in the league has sunk to new levels.
cmac2230
8 OAA
andrewf
Also 26/29 in stolen base attempts
Joel P
Plays good defense. Runs the bases well.
solaris602
Yeah, he pulled that WAR off with smoke and mirrors to an extent, and he owes the opportunity to Colten Wong.
Joel P
So Caballero is smoke and mirrors but 29 year old Luke Raley is legit?
BrianStrowman9
@Joel
I don’t think that’s what he’s saying. A guy being propped up by defense in such a small sample size of defense isn’t really painting a full picture. Those metrics can be easily skewed in small samples.
I don’t think Caballero is a 4.5 WAR player. Doesn’t mean that Raley is the better player. I prefer the Rays side but with the caveat that I doubt we see that kind of WAR level for Caballero in a full season of ABS.(if he even gets that in TB) I figure he’s going to be a part time player in the MIF.
BrianStrowman9
@solaris
Yeah you have to be skeptical of WAR based on public defensive metrics in small samples also. Those metrics are typically more reliable over larger sample sizes. (Still not great)
Joel P
Caballero has very little track record that’s why you should be skeptical it’s not WARs fault.
BrianStrowman9
@Joel
I’m not gonna argue this point too much with you because I’ve been down that rabbit hole but WAR doesn’t use OAA.
DRS and UZR are not very reliable in small samples. You can simply google search that. Caballero graded out well in OAA at 2B. I haven’t seen enough of him to opine on that piece but you should be very skeptical of a high WAR total that is predicated on defense in a small sample.
Joel P
Both Raley and Caballero are old with no real track record. Both guys are risky. I would prefer the guy who plays the more valuable positions but Both are risky and similar players in that regard.
BrianStrowman9
I prefer Caballero also. Raley covered all 3 OF slots and 1B last year so I think that it really just depends on what each individual teams need is. They’re both multi-position guys.
Caballero has a much stronger floor for sure.
slund24
For the Mariners, Raley plays the more valuable position as they need OF and have several utility IFs on their 40 man. They needed to move one and although Cabby is one I liked the most, he was going to net a better return than Moore, Haggerty, or Rojos.
Joel P
Who is the Mariners starting 2b and 3b?
bloomquist4hof
Rojas and Urias it seems.
Joel P
2 guys that other teams gave up on. That doesn’t inspire confidence.
slund24
Well they traded 1 guy that now several teams gave up on and another 2 teams gave up on.
MartialArtisan
Jerry’s probably trying to get Whit Merrifield for 2B. He’s been obsessed with him for years.
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
Solaris602,
You don’t know what you are talking about, he was literally one of the best defensive infielders and baserunners in the game. When you do both of those things at an elite level and produce a .340ish OBP from HBP and walks you’re very good at baseball. Don’t get so caught up in OPS, it only matters when you aren’t elite fast and can turn a pissed off pitcher hitting you with a fastball between the numbers into a triple with only three more pitches.
SODOMOJO
Boy is he a fun player. Elite speed. Flashy glove. Totally owns the box when he’s up there, even though his bat to ball isn’t exactly a strength. He hits lefties well but it will be a journey for him to become relevant as an everyday player.
That being said, he’s the exact kind of utility glue guy that most great teams have.
Joel P
Well the Mariners don’t plan on being great anytime soon so I guess they don’t need him.
deepseamonster32
half of that WAR is the product of pure annoyance. The way he plays the pitch count can start a brawl.
Caballero is a pest.
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
He’s literally one of the best baserunners and defenders in the past decade based on 2023 output. When you extrapolate out his innings, he’s Andres Gimenez defensively. Additionally, he’s Corbin Carroll on the bases, he walks a ton, gets hit twice as much as Ty France, and has a baseball IQ that makes our Founding Fathers look like masons…. Just kidding, but seriously, when people talk about the guys that do all the little things to help a team win, they are talking about Caby! He’s one of my favorite Mariners and I would’ve started him at 2B in 2024 and laughed all the way to a .340-.350 OBP and a 3-4 WAR season, now the Rays get that honor and we’ll look back on this as the Caballero trade, not the Raley trade.
filihok
nacb
“I don’t understand how Caballero accounted for 2.4 war with his 4 HRs, 221 ave low ops”
Read a few FanGraphs articles from like 15 years ago. Then quit looking at HR, BA she OPS
That’s a good start
As to where his value came from. It’s already been pointed out that he was AMAZING on defense. Phenomenal on the bases and (points at Peter Brand) he gets on base.
muskie73
As a rookie last year Jose Caballero posted a .343 on-base percentage in a league with an average OBP of .317.
filihok
muskie
“Jose Caballero posted a .343 on-base percentage in a league with an average OBP of .317.”
Exactly
And OPS
1) underrates OBP
2) doesn’t adjust
Don’t use it
Use wRC+
TheHighCheese4Me
It’s getting REALLY hard to support anything this clown show is doing.
How many platoon bats can a team roster? And if they wanted Mitch, why not just sign him yourselves.
Two more deals shipping off money/talent, and rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
#selltheteamstanton
#profitsoverpennants
bigdaddyhacks
A useless IF for a 2.5win above league average OF in raley. Along with getting near 30 off the books in trading a broken Robby ray. Thats some 4d moves with a limited budget.
THEY LIVE!!!
@bigdaddy
Agreed, although what are they getting with Haniger and DeScalfani?
slund24
Pitching depth. DeScalfani can pitch this season.
rememberthecoop
Obviously, Tampa doesn’t think he’s useless. I’d think they know more than you do.
mrmackey
Caballero had a 2.4 WAR, so that’s “useless” and 2.5 is “above average”??
bloomquist4hof
That does not mean he’s a 2.4 WAR player, particularly if he’s platooned against RHP. That said, “useless” is either hyperbole or ignorance. He’s a solid role player.
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
bloomquist4hof,
Funny you make this comment considering Bloomquist was a career 0.0 WAR player.
ayrbhoy
The Robbie Ray trade is not so much about Haniger, imo it’s more about having DeSclafani in the Rotation. This puts the FO in better position to trade one of Miller Woo or Hancock to improve the lineup.
A healthy Haniger doesn’t hurt your lineup or your clubhouse chemistry, but they will have learned their lesson on relying on Haniger as their everyday RFer.
Unlike the majority of M’s fans I like these 2 moves! We suddenly had an abundance of 2B/INFers and a need for at least 1 OFer. The shedding of Robbie’s salary for 2025 and 2026 could also theoretically let the FO invest in a FA or 2. Will the owner actually put that money back into improving his team? We’ll see…..
Murphy NFLD
The Ms pick up 2 OFers today. Any chance there is another trade coming withbthem shiping out a OF or DH type?
good vibes only
Maybe fringe 40 man pieces. I think the OF is set at Canzone Julio Haniger Raley. Marlowe/Haggerty/Moore may be available. Maybe France could go if they plan on Raley at 1B
Joel P
Mariners needed 2 outfielders, especially if 1 of them is Haniger.
toycannon
47 seasons as an Master fan and I need a break. Call me when Stanton and Dipoto are gone.
good vibes only
Of all the heartbreak its Cabby for Raley that breaks your resolve? haha
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
@toycannon
While I sympathize and agree with your statement, losing just one fan may feel like a shot from a “toycannon”!
THEY LIVE!!!
Luke Raley to Seattle sounds promising!!!
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
It’d be better if we were Brewers fans and got to hear Bob Uecker say, “swing and a miss,” everytime Raley strikes out, which will be a lot. He’s going to be like LH Teo with slightly better defense a better platoon side, and better baserunning. I’ll pencil him down for 2-3 WAR and a lot of forehead smacking at sliders in the right batters box.
Tom the ray fan
Not sure about this one but I trust my Rays here, selling high on Raley I guess
alwaysgo4two
They are. Check the second half Raley with the first half one.
good vibes only
If its Raley for Cabby there is no selling high, both players are fringe
Larry Bernandez 1324IM
Another 46% move.
Six Shooter
In the Rays FO we trust.
Jesse Chavez enthusiast
It sounds like a win for the Mariners if it’s a one for one swap, however, this is the Rays we are talking about. They seemingly have the magic touch in turning people to good hitters. Diaz, Parades, Siri ETC. two seasons in and Caballero will be having a WRC+ of 130 lol.
Joel P
Caballero is younger better and has more years of team control left.
BuddyBoy
Both have five years control.
Joel P
Baseball reference says Caballero has 6 super 2.
bloomquist4hof
I doubt the teams are thinking about Luke Raley or Jose Caballero beyond a couple years.
Thank_God_Im_Not_Tim_Dierkes
Caballero is one of those guys that always seems to do enough to be annoying and useful. He’s basically Nick Ahmed only faster, more annoying to opponents, better OBP, and struggled staying on the field the last three years prior to 2023, so he still has some upside.
jimmyz
I imagine from the Rays front office perspective that getting Caballeros is mostly to add to the pipeline of infielders to backfill Diaz and Paredes’ spots in the next year or two.
On the Mariners side they got the other part of the 1.5 OF’s Dipoto said about a month or two ago he wanted to add this offseason. Seems like a fair enough deal for both teams to me.
THEY LIVE!!!
@More Relievers
Rays usually are good at reading talent but they colossally messed up with gauging Wander Franco’s character & moral compass. Ooops‼️
Joel P
Raley is 29 years old and has less than a full season of big league experience.
I don’t know much about him never seen him play. But that doesn’t sound exciting.
slund24
Caballero is 27 years old and has less than a full season of big league experience as a part timer.
Joel P
Well 27 is better than 29…..
slund24
Raley also plays a position of need. Caballero is fun, great on basepaths, but is a backup infielder that really struggled last year after his hot start.
Joel P
Caballero played at a 6 win pace with bad offense.
BrianStrowman9
Rays must be convinced that Raley was a first half wonder. Caballero isn’t necessarily a huge position of need for the club but perhaps he plays some SS now
Joel P
From what I understand Caballero can play many positions and play them well defensively. The Rays really like versatile guys. And after losing Franco they do need help at short.
Six Shooter
And some ball players think 14 is better than a $185m contract, a HOF career, and life outside of bars.
THEY LIVE!!!
Six Shooter-
Pete Rose liked them young too, but they didn’t have social media then and MLB covered for their stars.
Six Shooter
Rose is before my time. I didn’t know that.
THEY LIVE!!!
You’re an ageist Joel.
Can’t believe people still discriminate against people because of their age and do it publicly even.
Madbummer
Raley is a baller. Mariner fans will love this guy.
WashedUpShortstop
Mariners need to get Ronny Simon from Tampa somehow
LDilbert
Seems light on the mariners side,Fr ance going to rays too?
Ray plus France traded would free up money for Rhys Hoskins
LDilbert
Mitch , meetch, raley are not enough this offseason
Rhys Hoskins you are a Seattle Mariner!
GoM’s
BaseballisLife
Trader Jerry getting busy.
Salzilla
Very interesting. I feel like the SFG would have done better to try to make this deal in the wake of losing Haniger. Snooze, you lose I guess.
mlb1225
Incoming 30/30 season with a Gold Glove at 2B or SS for Caballero
slund24
yes, 4 HRs at TMobile pretty much does equate to 30 HRs at the Trop.
mlb1225
It is once you factor in the Rays’ devil magic.
Slow day at work
30 Singles / 30 Stolen Bases
Zippy the Pinhead
Raley is a strikeout machine. About 30% of his at bats end with a whiff. What happened to the whole CTZ thing? Anthony DeSclafini was pretty good a couple of years ago, but floundered in SF. Cabby was superfluous with all the other middling infielders (although he’s really good at annoying pitchers with pitch clock shenanigans) and Ray is a terrific leader with lousy luck. There’d better be more. Maybe ADS is that 5th starter that allows for an Arozarena trade for Miller, Woo, or Hancock. Who knows what J&J are thinking?
LDilbert
Garver is gonna preach
just_thinkin
Love this as an O’s fan. Rays lineup continues to get worse.
Six Shooter
You don’t have to talk bad about the Rays just cause your team refuses to get a good starter.
just_thinkin
I do what I want!
PoopMonster
Wouldn’t be surprised if Ty France was included
dbdmack
Doubt it, but I do see a lot of L/H R/H platooning in his future.
bloomquist4hof
I wouldn’t be surprised to see him traded, but not part of this trade.
differentbears
Me, a Dodger fan:
How did I not know about the Raleyssaince?!
*looks at b-ref, 28 BBs to 128 Ks*
Oh.
TJECK109
Pirates should be all over France.
differentbears
But is it the best… Lafitte?
hoof hearted
Caballaro resume(minors) walk alot, K-less, speed. Solid D all over the Diamond. If he hits alittle better…. with the Rays, would you expect anything else??
guilderc2000
SEA fans are definitely praying this expands to some sort of Arozarena deal
Zippy the Pinhead
Indeed. But Lucy Stanton keeps pulling the football away from Charlie Dipoto, so no one’s expecting it.
MarlinsFanBase
Why do I have a feeling that the Rays are about to bend DiPoto over the table?
Is there any M’s fan trusting and wanting their GM to make any trade with the Rays?
LDilbert
This got me excited, he’s soo cute!
BigRedMachine
Raley for Caballero is a steal. There were so many times when Jose could not even get the ball in play. The Mariners needed hitting last year and if Jose could hit he would of been in the M’s line-up every day. He was not. I will take Luke R. and 20 Homeruns and 14 SB’s everyday for Jose C.
I like the trade with SF as well. Who knows how Robbie Ray is going to be in his return next year, if he does pitch in August or September and it is a huge contract that comes off the books. Anthony De is decent and Mitch can hit when healthy but that has not been the case for a while…One other thing to think about. Mitch was loved by his teammates and was the leader in that M’s clubhouse. That means something.
LDilbert
Hi Felicia, byyye Felicia
LDilbert
Rays are gonna make Ty France a household name.
Mariners all injured team
Mitch Mitch Hoskins urias
BrianStrowman9
Trader Jerry should call the Orioles after this and swap a P for a starting 2B!
Big whiffa
They sure will if they get snell
rotofool
Great trade for the M’s, helps them compete in 2024. Ray was unlikely to return until after the trade deadline, if at all, while Haniger can at least provide some value before then, both in the clubhouse and at DH. Big D could revert to 2021 form and provide more value, although he now becomes separable and could be dealt away for minimal compensation. If so, his $12M & the future savings on Ray would give the M’s quite a bit of flexibility to add a significant piece at basically any position.
MarinerBoy
Love getting Mitch back, but time to keep his on field duties to 1B/DH. I just pray they don’t stick him in RF everyday. Need to keep him healthy for this deal to make sense.
tbfern
I’m not saying we won’t be competitive this year b/c we always are, but it seems like the Rays are trending towards having an “off” year. With so many of our pitching staff still recovering from injury, not having Wander, trading Glasnow & Margot while also dumping salary it just seems like we’re taking a year off to prepare for next season.
I like the move, it’ll will allow Caballero to play either 2B or SS w/Walls and move B-Lowe to the outfield and become basically what Raley was doing which was OF/DH.
Madbummer
I agree, the Rays a have thrown in the towel for 2024, which makes Caballero even more puzzling. Why not let Basabe, Caminero and Walls compete for being Wander’s replacement ? They have alot more depth in the infield than the OF, which makes trading Raley hard to follow.
jimoore67
Trade makes sense for Rays. Franco is not coming back, Walls is still recovering from surgery, Basabe and Caminero so potential but still need some time at AAA. Cabarello is a efficient stop gap
stretch123
Ahh the annual Rays-Mariners deal
HalosHeavenJJ
That’s a pretty nice outfield when Haniger is healthy.
dbdmack
Love the moves for the M’s. I won’t be surprised if DeScalfini is flipped to trim more budget and get a mid-level back.
bloomquist4hof
This seems fair enough, but would give Caballero the edge I think. It seems like the M’s viewed Cabby as is likely a platoon bat. Now the sample size is small for 2023, and he did have them in the minors this year, but it’s not clear he’s actually just a platoon bat. He could end up a solid regular if his splits are less extreme going forward. Raley was an old prospect who had a breakout year, it’s also quite possible he continues being good enough to be a regular as 2023, and even if isn’t quite a “solid regular” he could still be a useful piece. Cabby was also a bit of an old prospect. I think the difference in age favors Cabby though. If this goes through one for one it feels like the Rays ever so slightly won it, to me at least.
wvsteve
You would think they could have got more for Raley? If not several other teams really missed out
CeruleanDrew
Truly, wvsteve. Raley was hitting .266 with decent power and stolen bases with an .844 OPS in early August when he fouled a pitch off his knee missing time. Then in September he suffered that freak cervical sprain injury and he wasn’t the same after those injuries. He played 1B and OF serviceable and was a great guy in the clubhouse. I’m hoping that this move is part of something bigger but bottom line I have to trust in Neander.
Habitual Truth Teller
Mariners need a 2B. Ha Seong Kim could be available.
Padres could move Cronenworth back to 2B and look for an actual 1B.
Gabriel Gonzalez
Tyler Locklear
Ryan Bliss
Prelander Berrora or Ty Adcock.
JoeBrady
A lot of small samples here, but it looks to me like TB trashed them on this trade. Caballeros had a .663 OPS and 2.4 bWAR in only 280 PAs. Raley had an .824 OPS, but only a 2.8 bWAR in 406 PAs. And his OPS in the 2nd half was only .677.
bigdaddyhacks
What’s funny is I would say the exact opposite to you. Cabby has played 105 big league games. Never more than 50 minor league games per season and is a poor hitter. He’s got value to TB as the need a SS now and fast and cheap. Mariners have 335 IFs in the system and cabby was a rental car for us. We see Raley has pop, walks and high ops. I think it honestly might be the most even Steven trade ever. We don’t need our guy, so we think we fleeced them for the other guy.
McGrundle
A 30 year old with 550 career plate appearances, and the Mariners are excited to have him in the MIDDLE of their lineup. Awesome.
rct
Has Caballero been hurt a lot or something? His games played in the minors:
2017 – 36
2018 – 70
2019 – 69
2020 – COVID
2021 – 20
2022 – 33
His 104 games with the Ms in 2023 are by far the most he’s played in a season. What gives?
martras
More potential trade partners for the Twins off the board. Sigh.
LDilbert
Bring back Santana and Frazier please
TheHighCheese4Me
Do they get the 149 OPS+ first half Raley, or are they stuck with the 84 OPS+ second half Raley?
Hopefully, it’s the guy that hit 15 bombs before the AS break…
CeruleanDrew
On August 3rd Raley fouled a ball off his knee and missed time as a result. Then again in September he suffered a cervical sprain in a freak accident which resulted in weakness on his right arm that pretty much doomed his productivity. Having watched Raley he brings a lot to the team: power, stealing bases, great teammate, and passable defense at 1B/OF. My main criticism of him is he does strike out too much. But he will be missed absolutely.
Zissou
Fudge muffins… Based on recent FO remarks… If this is it?… Gotta call it a let down.
letsplaytwo
It would be foolish of Dipoto to let the GM’s know that he is desperate for one more bat.. I believe he is trying to trade for Paredes or another solid bat before he is done.
Rob66
Weren’t the Mariners looking for less strikeout prone contact type hitters?
letsplaytwo
Yes, they were. But when you can add a Luke Raley in exchange for your third second baseman, you make the deal.
SI
I got a Mallex Smith feel for Cabby in TB. he is going to scoot hits across that turf.
IndianaBob
Ray’s plan for SS seems to be a platoon of Cabelleros and Basabe. That is a 126 RC+ vs righties and a 115 versus lefties. Caballeros SS defense was bad last year in a small 132 innings sample.