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Mariners Acquire Matt Magill

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The Mariners announced the acquisition of right-handed reliever Matt Magill from the Twins in exchange for cash considerations. Minnesota designated Magill for assignment Thursday. As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk noted then, the Twins stood a good chance of losing the 29 year-old on waivers. Instead, they acquire some amount of cash from a Seattle club who would have otherwise claimed him.

Magill has been a solid but unspectacular middle reliever for Minnesota over the past two seasons. This year, he logged a pedestrian 4.45 ERA thanks to a plethora of free passes, but he also struck out an eye-opening 27.1% of batters. He’s averaging 95.92 MPH on his four-seam fastball, per Brooks Baseball, and features slightly above-average spin rates on both his fastball and curveball, per Statcast. There’s some raw material here to work with, especially for a Mariner bullpen light on established performers.

At the same time, Magill’s out of options, meaning he needs to stick with the major-league club or else run the risk of being exposed to waivers. He’s also been hit exceptionally hard despite his quality stuff, so he’s far from certain to bring stability to the club himself.

If things do click in Seattle, he’s controllable for four seasons beyond this one via arbitration, where his lack of an established track record should result in low starting salaries.

Leake: "I'm not at liberty to sit around and wait on a non-winning team"

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On the heels of a Seattle Times report that hinted the Mariners and starter Mike Leake were “ready to be done with” each other, the veteran righty gave some insight on his professional priorities vis-a-vis the trade deadline in an appearance on today’s broadcast of MLB Network Radio’s “Home Plate” radio show (link).

“I want to win,” said Leake, before adding, “I’m not at liberty to sit around and wait on a non-winning team.” True to that earlier Times report, which characterized league-wide interest in the pitcher as “minimal,” Leake admitted that he hasn’t to this point been presented with any trade proposals from the Mariners front office. Leake, who possesses a no-trade clause as part of the five-year, $80MM deal he signed with the Cardinals prior to the 2016 campaign, would need to approve any move to an acquiring club, but it remains to be seen whether anyone wants a stake in the well-compensated righty. Leake is still owed approximately $25.5MM before his contract terminates at the conclusion of the 2020 season, with the Cardinals still responsible for nearly $6.5MM of that total. He has a 4.27 ERA across 2o starts on the year (4.80 FIP).

Hunter Strickland Nearing Return

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  • Mariners reliever Hunter Strickland is on track for potential activation next weekend, per MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer (via Twitter). He’ll first need to make it through three rehab appearances at Triple-A, but it’s good news for the 30-year-old reliever, who has been sidelined for a long stretch with a lat injury. Strickland had been slated to serve as the Seattle closer until going on the IL on March 30 with a right lat strain.

Report: “Minimal Interest” In Mike Leake

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Seattle and Arizona may or may not have almost come together on a trade for Mariners right-hander Mike Leake in early June. Nearly two months later, Leake remains a Mariner, but he and the team “are ready to be done with” each other, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports in a piece examining the M’s potential trade chips leading up to the July 31 deadline. Unfortunately for the Mariners and Leake, interest in the starter been “minimal” since the club discussed him with Arizona, according to Divish.

As a soon-to-be 32-year-old on a team that’s not contending now and probably won’t during the next season or two, Leake is an obvious trade candidate. Leake does have a full no-trade clause, though, which makes his apparent eagerness to leave the Mariners all the more noteworthy. That said, a willingness to waive your no-trade protection obviously doesn’t matter if teams aren’t interested in your services.

For the most part, Leake has been a steady, durable rotation piece since his career began with the Reds in 2010. Also an ex-Giant and Cardinal, Leake came into the year with a 3.99 ERA/4.11 FIP, 6.07 K/9, 2.06 BB/9 and a 50.8 percent walk rate over 264 starts and 1,627 1/3 innings. But Leake hasn’t done anything to boost his trade stock through 115 1/3 frames this year, even though he has bettered his typical strikeout/walk numbers with 6.63 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9.

Walks have been hard to come by against Leake, whereas batters haven’t had much trouble collecting hits or home runs off him. Just two starters have coughed up more hits than Leake (133), whose HR/9 (1.87) also sits third from the bottom and ranks as a career worst. The .349 weighted on-base average and .346 xwOBA he has allowed are also nearer to the low end of the totem pole than the top. With those facts in mind, it’s unsurprising Leake’s 4.60 ERA and 4.99 FIP are among the highest of his career.

The 2019 version of Leake has been a back-of-the-rotation innings eater, which does carry some value. However, the fact that Leake’s still on the five-year, $80MM deal he signed with the Cardinals prior to the 2016 campaign complicates matters. He came into 2019 with two guaranteed years and $36MM left on the pact, and though the Cards are chipping in $5MM this season and $4MM in ’20, it’s still too rich for other teams. The Mariners are willing to eat a significant amount of the money they’re paying Leake in order to move him, per Divish, but that hasn’t helped them find a taker yet.

Outrighted: Mac Williamson, Jarrett Parker

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We’ll use this post to cover the day’s minor moves, both involving a pair of former Giants outfielders …

  • The Mariners announced today that they’ve outrighted Mac Williamson after he cleared waivers. Williamson was designated for assignment following a dreadful run in Seattle — which, in turn, came on the heels of an even worse stint in San Francisco. Williamson carries a .156/.250/.258 slash line on the year and just hasn’t made use of his MLB opportunities over the past five seasons, sporadic though they have been. He is a .266/.344/.488 hitter through over a thousand plate appearances at the Triple-A level, however.
  • Meanwhile, the Angels have announced the same exact move for Jarrett Parker. At times, it seemed that Parker might join Williamson as a part of the regular Giants outfield mix, but he was released after the 2017 season. Parker has shown some renewed life this year at Triple-A with the Halos, where he has slashed a hefty .296/.424/.604 and launched 19 long balls. The 30-year-old didn’t get much of a shot at the MLB level, but it bears note that he went down on strikes eight times in just 15 plate appearances.

Mitch Haniger Set To Resume Baseball Activities

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The Mariners have re-started the baseball activities of injured outfielder Mitch Haniger, manager Scott Servais told reporters including MLB.com’s Greg Johns (Twitter link). Doctors gave him the go-ahead to start some light catch and hitting.

Haniger halted an earlier attempt at ramping up when he experienced pain. His is a particularly unpleasant injury, so it’s probably not altogether surprising that the discomfort has continued.

Servais certain did not indicate that Haniger is now on a fast track back. “He still has some issues and is feeling some pain on certain days,” says Servais, “so we have to be careful how fast we go with him.”

It’s obviously disappointing to see the 28-year-old sidelined in this manner, particularly with so little else for the Mariners to cheer for at the moment. But with the M’s well out of contention, Haniger is clearly the one suffering the most. Beyond the physical and mental toll, his ongoing absence has sapped his earning power heading into his first year of arbitration eligibility. He’ll not only command less as an arb-1 player, but will establish a much lower starting point to build off of in the two ensuing years.

It seems there’s still at least some hope that Haniger can make it back to the majors this season. He will surely need to build himself up a bit physically and get comfortable again at game speed. Still, as a position player, Haniger shouldn’t require an especially extensive rehab stint — if and when he’s able to get fully past the pain.

Mariners Receiving Trade Interest In Santana, Elias

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The Mariners, as one would expect with GM Jerry Dipoto at the helm, continue to be active in trade discussions and are receiving the most interest in outfielder Domingo Santana and lefty Roenis Elias, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required). Interest in Santana is strong enough that Seattle “will at least consider trading him,” Rosenthal writes.

Santana, 27 in early August, is in his first season with the Mariners after coming over from the Brewers in an offseason swap that sent Ben Gamel to Milwaukee. The slugger has been every bit as productive as Seattle could have reasonably hoped upon acquiring him, hitting at a .280/.346/.489 pace with 19 home runs, 19 doubles, a triple and six steals. Santana, though, has also fanned at a 29.5 percent clip and racked up more total strikeouts (122) than any player in Major League Baseball.

More concerning than Santana’s strikeouts, however, is his glovework in the outfield. Santana’s -14.4 Ultimate Zone Rating and -12 Outs Above Average are the worst marks of any outfielder in baseball. Only Colorado’s Ian Desmond (-16) has fared worse than Santana (-13) in the estimation of Defensive Runs Saved. It’s not fully clear what has prompted the downturn in Santana’s defensive ratings. A year ago in Milwaukee, he drew above-average marks from all three of those metrics. And while those positive ratings look to be an outlier relative to the rest of his career, Santana has also never struggled anywhere close to this extent in seasons past.

Surely, some teams — particularly those in the NL — will be wary of Santana’s defense. But a club that could give Santana some time at designated hitter (or, speculatively, first base) and/or one that believes it has a solution to this season’s pronounced decline could hardly help but be intrigued by his bat. Santana has been an above-average hitter in every season he’s received regular playing time, and he’s controlled through the 2021 season at an affordable rate. This year’s home run and RBI totals will undoubtedly boost his salary in arbitration, but he’s earning just $1.95MM in 2019, so his forthcoming raise won’t make his salary burdensome. Santana has been good against right-handed pitching (.277/.338/.449) while obliterating lefties (.287/.374/.621), so he’d be of particular interest to a team that has been overmatched by opposing southpaws (e.g. Indians, Rockies).

As for Elias, MLBTR explored the left-hander’s likely trade candidacy at greater length last week, noting that while he’s not an elite reliever, he’s a solid arm whose modest $910K salary and remaining club control (also through 2021) should generate plenty of interest. Elias can miss bats, throws rather hard for a lefty and gets good spin on both his heater and curveball, all of which makes him an appealing asset. With so many teams around the league eyeing bullpen help and Dipoto never afraid to move a piece as he rebuilds the Seattle roster and farm system, it’d be more surprising to see the Mariners retain Elias than it would be to see him traded.

Trade Candidates: Top 5 Starters By K/BB Ratio

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If you’re a pitcher, there aren’t many more important skills than racking up strikeouts and limiting walks. The on-the-block starters who have been adept in both categories in 2019 figure to be among the players who garner the most interest from other teams leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. With help from the trade candidates list MLBTR’s Jeff Todd and Steve Adams assembled last week, here’s a look at the five qualified, potentially movable starters who have stood out more than the rest in the K/BB department this year…

Zack Greinke, RHP, Diamondbacks: K/BB ratio: 7.13

  • Even though he’s 35 years old and has a fastball that clocks in just below 90 mph, Greinke remains one of the majors’ preeminent starters. Greinke has fanned 8.02 batters per nine this year and walked a paltry 1.13, helping him to a 2.95 ERA/3.20 FIP across 128 frames. Plus, in a game where home runs are becoming more prevalent, Greinke has yielded under one per nine. If the Diamondbacks go into sell mode, Greinke is theoretically someone who’d draw plenty of interest. However, his contract could serve as a major roadblock. Not only is Greinke owed roughly $79MM through 2021, but his partial no-trade clause gives him the right to say no to 15 teams.

Matthew Boyd, LHP, Tigers: K/BB ratio: 6.33

  • A glance at Boyd’s MLBTR page shows no shortage of teams in pursuit of the breakout 28-year-old, who has evolved into a K/BB master this season. Boyd has struck out 12 per nine and issued just 1.89 BB/9 at the same time, though a low groundball percentage (37.1) has played in a part in recent difficulties preventing home runs. Boyd has allowed 10 in seven starts dating back to the beginning of June, when he owned a 3.01 ERA. He has now posted a 3.95 mark in 114 innings this year, albeit with a 3.47 FIP/3.35 xFIP and the majors’ 11th-highest swinging-strike rate (14 percent). Considering Boyd’s 2019 production, his $2.6MM salary and his three remaining seasons of arbitration control, it’s no wonder teams are lining up for him.

Jacob deGrom, RHP, Mets: K/BB ratio: 5.14

  • Despite their awful 42-51 record, the Mets probably aren’t going to trade deGrom, the reigning NL Cy Young winner whom they signed to a four-year, $120.5MM extension entering the season. The 31-year-old hasn’t been the otherworldly force he was in 2018, but that’s far more of a compliment to his work a season ago than a knock on what he has done in 2019. To this point, deGrom has pitched to a sparkling 3.21 ERA/3.12 FIP with 11.27 K/9 and 2.19 BB/9 over 115 innings. Should the Mets at least consider trading him? Many of you think so, but general manager Brodie Van Wagenen’s unlikely to pull the trigger.

Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Giants: K/BB ratio: 4.84

  • It’s true Bumgarner isn’t the ace he was in his halcyon days, but the 29-year-old’s K/9 (9.33) and BB/9 (1.93 BB/9) are befitting of a front-line arm. His 3.86 ERA and 3.80 FIP tell another story, though they’re certainly not subpar. The multi-time playoff hero has drawn tons of interest in advance of the deadline, and is likely the top rental starter in the rumor mill. For a while, Bumgarner has looked like a surefire trade candidate for the Giants, but a recent hot streak has put them just three games back in the National League’s wide-open wild-card race. Still, odds are that they’ll move Bumgarner for a solid return in the next two weeks.

Mike Leake, RHP, Mariners: K/BB ratio: 4.72

  • Leake’s inclusion on this list comes as a surprise in light of the other hurlers on it, and he’s definitely not part of it because of an impressive strikeout total. To the contrary, Leake has fanned a meager 6.63 batters per nine over 115 1/3 frames. On the other hand, his 1.4 BB/9 is outstanding. The same can’t be said for Leake’s 4.60 ERA/4.99 FIP or his 88.2 mph average fastball velocity, though. As a back-end starter who’s owed the balance of $36MM through 2020 (including $9MM from his prior team, the Cardinals, and a $5MM buyout in 2021), there isn’t much trade value here despite Leake’s placement in this top five.

Mariners Designate Mac Williamson For Assignment

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The Mariners announced Tuesday that outfielder Mac Williamson has been designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to utilityman Kristopher Negron, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Tacoma. Seattle also recalled right-hander Erik Swanson from Tacoma to fill a vacant spot on its active roster.

Williamson, 28, was once viewed as a potential long-term option with the Giants but has yet to replicate his solid Triple-A production at the MLB level. Seattle gave him a slightly longer look than San Francisco did in 2019, but his results with both clubs were poor. In a combined 144 trips to the plate this year, Williamson has slashed an underwhelming .156/.250/.258 while striking out at a 30.6 percent pace. He does have some pop in his bat, evidenced by a lifetime .266/.344/.488 line in parts of five Triple-A seasons.

Williamson is out of minor league options, so any club that acquires him would have to carry him on its MLB roster. The Mariners will have a week to trade him, release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. If they go the latter route and he clears, Williamson could still elect free agency due to the fact that he’s already been outrighted off a 40-man roster once in his career.

Mariners Release Jon Niese, Tyler Cloyd

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The Mariners have released left-hander Jon Niese and righty Tyler Cloyd, Triple-A Tacoma broadcaster Mike Curto reports. Both pitchers had been on the Rainiers’ roster.

Niese’s release is the latest unwelcome development in what has largely been a solid professional career. The 32-year-old lasted just under three months with the Mariners, who inked him to a minor league contract April 25, and threw 70 1/3 innings of 5.76 ERA ball with a microscopic strikeout rate (4.9 K/9, against 3.1 BB/9) as a member of Tacoma’s roster. It was the first true game action since 2016 for Niese, who – despite spending time with the Yankees in 2017 and the Rangers in ’18 – battled injuries that prevented him from pitching over the previous two seasons.

Niese struggled mightily in his most recent major league season, which he divided between the Pirates and Mets, but otherwise has enjoyed a better MLB career than most pitchers. He posted a 4.07 ERA/4.02 FIP with 6.92 K/9, 2.78 BB/9 and a 50.1 percent groundball rate in 1,189 1/3 innings – almost entirely with the Mets – from 2008-16.

Cloyd’s also 32, though his big league track record is nowhere near as long as Niese’s. In parts of four seasons with the Phillies, Mariners and Marlins from 2012-18, Cloyd totaled just 112 frames and recorded a 6.35 ERA/4.88 FIP with 6.83 K/9, 3.38 BB/9 and a 35.7 percent grounder rate. Cloyd reunited with the Mariners in late April, the same day Niese signed, and proceeded to put up an ugly 7.43 ERA/5.94 FIP in 66 2/3 innings in the difficult Pacific Coast League environment. Cloyd has typically performed far better at the minors’ top level, evidenced by his 4.31 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 in 653 1/3 Triple-A innings.

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