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Mariners Acquire Alberto Rodriguez From Blue Jays

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The Mariners have acquired minor league outfielder Alberto Rodriguez from the Blue Jays to complete the teams’ trade for right-hander Taijuan Walker, Seattle announced.

The two teams swung the deal for Walker on Aug. 27, though Toronto included a player who was not in its 60-man player pool. His identity was unknown until now as a result.

Still just 19 years old, Rodriguez spent the first two professional seasons of his career playing in rookie ball for the Jays organization. He batted .274/.356/.392 with seven home runs and 34 stolen bases on 42 attempts over 458 plate appearances during his time in Toronto’s system.

Mariners Claim Walker Lockett

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The Mariners have claimed righty Walker Lockett off waivers from the Mets, as per a Mariners press release.  New York designated Lockett for assignment earlier this week.

The long ball has plagued Lockett over his brief MLB tenure, as a 2.2 HR/9 over 45 2/3 career innings is largely responsible for the 8.28 ERA he has posted over parts of three seasons with the Mets and Padres.  Lockett consistently posted strong ground-ball rates over his minor league career but has yet to translate that skill at the big league level, with just a modest 44.9% grounder rate in the Show.

Lockett is out of options, so Seattle will have to include him on its active roster or risk exposing him to the DFA wire once more.  There’s little harm for the rebuilding Mariners in seeing if Lockett could fit into their future plans, as he has a solid track record as a starter in the minors and could also be potentially deployed for relief work.

COVID-19 Notes: Athletics, Mariners, Astros

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The latest on some coronavirus-related situations around baseball…

  • The Athletics haven’t played since Saturday due to a positive COVID-19 test within the organization, which led to the postponement of Sunday’s game with the Astros and games set for today and tomorrow against the Mariners.  However, the team’s traveling party hasn’t delivered any further positive results after a round of tests conducted both Sunday and yesterday, Susan Slusser and Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle report.  For now, signs seem to be pointing towards the A’s returning to the field on Friday to begin a series with the Padres, as Slusser and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter links) reports that Thursday’s game with the Mariners will also be postponed.  Looking at both the Seattle and Oakland schedules, one would think September 14 or 17 would be natural days for re-scheduled days, as both clubs are off on those days.  [UPDATE: The A’s announced the makeup dates for the Mariners series — a doubleheader in Seattle on September 14, and a previously-scheduled game in Seattle on September 26 will now also be a doubleheader.]
  • The Astros have re-opened their alternate training site in Corpus Christi, GM James Click told the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome and other reporters.  This was the second time in a little over a week’s time that the facility had been closed down due to a positive coronavirus test.

AL West Trade Deadline Recap

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With the deadline in the rearview mirror, we’ll look back at each AL West team’s trade activity over the past month.

Houston Astros

Los Angeles Angels

Oakland Athletics

Seattle Mariners

Texas Rangers

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/31/20

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A round-up of some smaller moves with the trade deadline in the rearview mirror:

  • The Mariners announced they’ve transferred left-hander Nestor Cortes to the 45-day injured list with a left elbow impingement. He’d been placed on the 10-day IL August 15. The former Yankee long reliever was bombed in his five appearances for Seattle this season, surrendering 14 runs (13 earned) on six home runs with eight strikeouts and six walks in 7.2 innings. The move clears a space on Seattle’s 40-man roster.
  • The Angels announced they’ve selected the contract of catcher José Briceño. The 27-year-old saw action in 46 games for Los Angeles back in 2018, hitting .239/.299/.385 in 128 plate appearances. Briceño will step into the #2 catching role behind Anthony Bemboom. The Angels traded starting backstop Jason Castro to the Padres yesterday.
  • The Brewers have selected the contract of right-hander Justin Topa, the team announced. The 29-year-old will be making his MLB debut whenever he first gets into a game. Milwaukee signed Topa out of independent ball after the 2018 season, and he went on to put up a 2.63 ERA in 24 innings in Double-A in 2019. He’ll step into the bullpen void left by today’s trade of David Phelps to the Phillies.
  • The Red Sox announced they have selected the contracts of three players: infielder Yairo Muñoz, left-hander Mike Kickham and right-hander Robinson Leyer. Muñoz, 25, signed with Boston on a minor-league deal after a bizarre end to his time with the Cardinals. Kickham, 31, hasn’t pitched in the majors since tossing 30.1 innings with the 2013-14 Giants. Leyer, 27, has yet to make his major league debut. He has a 4.01 ERA in parts of five Double-A seasons.

Padres Acquire Taylor Williams

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4:55pm: The Mariners will receive righty Matt Brash in return, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. The 22-year-old Brash went in the fourth round of the 2019 draft and then threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings between rookie ball and Single-A last season.

3:34pm: The Padres have made yet another trade, this time acquiring right-hander Taylor Williams from the Mariners for a player to be named later, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets.

This is the second trade in as many days between the Padres and Mariners, who previously swung a seven-player deal Sunday that saw Austin Nola, Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla go from Seattle to San Diego. As was the case in landing Adams and Altavilla, the idea behind acquiring Williams is to improve a Padres bullpen that has struggled with injuries and underperformance in 2020. It’s anyone’s guess whether the 29-year-old Williams will end up as part of the solution, though, considering he has only put up a 5.34 ERA across 86 major league innings with the Brewers and Mariners. Williams has however, averaged 95 mph on his fastball and posted a 3.80 FIP during his time in the bigs. He also won’t be eligible for arbitration until after 2021, so Williams could be a valuable piece for the Padres over multiple seasons if he turns around his career.

Regardless of whether Williams rights the ship as a Padre, his pickup is yet another sign that they’re going for it in 2020. At 21-15 and trying to break a long playoff drought, the A.J. Preller-led Padres have made a series of notable trades since the weekend.

Braves Have Shown Interest In Kyle Seager

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The Braves have “explored” a trade for Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, but the two teams aren’t progressing toward a deal at this point, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com.

As a 32-year-old who’s on a prorated $19MM salary this season and is due another $18MM in 2021, Seager comes off as a logical trade candidate for a retooling Mariners team. But both the value of his contract and a $15MM club option for 2022 complicate matters. If Seager’s traded, he’ll be able to make a decision on whether to exercise that option, and it seems quite likely he’d so then.

To Seager’s credit, he has long been a quality starter at the hot corner for the Mariners. His production fell flat in 2018, but he rebounded last season and has continued to perform well this year. So far, Seager has accrued 147 plate appearances and batted .272/.347/.472 with five home runs and almost as many walks (15) as strikeouts (19).

The production Seager has posted this year and throughout his career would perhaps be welcome in Atlanta, whose third basemen, Austin Riley and Johan Camargo, have recorded below-average numbers in 2020. But Riley has been hot of late, and that could make acquiring another third baseman – especially an expensive one – less of a priority for the NL East-leading Braves.

Padres, Mariners Complete Seven-Player Trade

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The Padres continued their busy deadline activities with a trade large in both numbers and long-term scope.  The Padres and Mariners combined on a seven-player deal that will see catcher/utilityman Austin Nola and right-handers Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla go to San Diego, while Seattle will receive top outfield prospect Taylor Trammell, infielder Ty France, catcher Luis Torrens, and right-hander Andres Munoz.

After already picking up Jason Castro from the Angels in another trade earlier today, the Padres will further bolster themselves behind the plate with Nola, though Nola brings extra versatility to the table.  While Nola has primarily worked as a catcher this season, he has a lot of experience at first base and second base, plus a handful of games as a third baseman and corner outfield.

Austin NolaSince Nola might be considered more of a super-utility piece than as a pure catcher, he will essentially replace both backup infielder France and backup catcher Torrens on San Diego’s roster.  The Padres are likely to use Nola all around the diamond while perhaps still going with Castro and Austin Hedges as their primary catching tandem, though Nola will surely also see some time at catcher.

As Ken Rosenthal speculated, the Padres did move a catcher to Seattle as part of the deal, though it was Torrens rather than Hedges or (the currently injured) Francisco Mejia.  It isn’t out of the question that one of that duo could be traded elsewhere in another future swap for the aggressive Padres.  Besides Castro, San Diego has also added Mitch Moreland and Trevor Rosenthal in deals with the Red Sox and Royals over the last two days, and the Padres remain in the hunt for such big-name pitchers as Mike Clevinger and Lance Lynn.

Originally a fifth-round pick for the Marlins in the 2012 draft, Nola plugged away in the minors before finally making his MLB debut last season at age 29.  Since reaching the bigs, Nola has done nothing but produce for the Mariners, hitting .280/.351/.476 with 15 homers over 377 career plate appearances heading into today’s action.  He is also controlled through the 2025 season, though San Diego might not necessarily view Nola as a long-term asset given that he turns 31 in December.

Altavilla has been a somewhat inconsistent contributor during his five years out of the Mariners bullpen, amassing a solid career 4.08 ERA over 106 innings and missing a lot (9.9 K/9) of bats.  He only pitched 14 2/3 innings in 2019 and had a 7.71 ERA through his first 11 2/3 frames this season.  As a hard-throwing righty, Altavilla will basically fill the bullpen depth spot left behind Gerardo Reyes, who was moved to the Angels in the Castro trade.

Adams could potentially factor into the Padres’ plans in 2020, as the right-hander has been rehabbing in the hopes of a late-season return after undergoing knee surgery in September 2019.  Over 38 career innings with the Nationals and Mariners since the start of the 2017 season, Adams has a 3.79 ERA, 2.33 K/BB rate, and a whopping 14.9 K/9.  MLBTR’s Steve Adams examined the righty’s hidden-gem potential back in April and, as always, the pitcher now going to San Diego is not to be confused with the other right-handed Austin Adams, who is currently with the Twins.

Taylor TrammellTurning to the Mariners’ end of the trade, Trammell is the clear centerpiece, and this is the second time in two years that Trammell has been part of a major deadline swap.  The outfielder was part of the prospect package going to San Diego last July in the seven-player, three-team swap that sent Trevor Bauer to the Reds and Franmil Reyes and Yasiel Puig to the Indians.  Trammell will now become part of a loaded young outfield core in Seattle that includes Rookie Of The Year favorite Kyle Lewis and top prospects Julio Rodriguez and Jarred Kelenic.

Being dealt twice in 13 months’ time, however, could be an indication that Trammell’s star has somewhat dimmed.  He didn’t perform overly well at the Double-A level last year, hitting a combined .234/.340/.349 in 514 combined PA with the Reds’ and Padres’ affiliates.  MLB.com ranked Trammell as the 16th-best prospect in baseball prior to the 2019 season but dropped him to 57th in their pre-2020 listing, citing “a pull-heavy approach” that didn’t serve him well at Double-A.  Overall, however, the scouting report was still impressed by Trammell’s speed, and his “impressive combination of athleticism, hitting ability and power potential even when he struggled.”

France has been an under-the-radar contributor for the Padres, hitting .314/.375/.510 in his first 56 plate appearances.  The 26-year-old was something of an unheralded 34th round pick out of San Diego State in 2015, but France did nothing but hit in the minors and has acquitted himself well at the plate in the big leagues.  France has played mostly corner infield positions during his career, though he also has experience at second base, so his right-handed bat could spell both the left-handed hitting Shed Long Jr. and even Kyle Seager when a southpaw is on the mound.

Though Torrens only has 70 big league games (including seven this season) to his name, he is now the most experienced receiver in a Seattle catching corps that consists of rookie Joseph Odom and Joe Hudson.  Tom Murphy is currently on the 45-day injured list recovering from a fractured metatarsal in his left foot, leaving the door open for the Mariners’ other backstops to make an impression.  A veteran of seven pro seasons with the Yankees and Padres, Torrens has a solid .272/.343/.404 slash line in 1584 career minor league PA, though just a .479 OPS over 168 PA with San Diego at the big league level.

Munoz is a longer-term asset for the Mariners, as the 21-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last March.  With a fastball that sits just a hair below 100mph, Munoz made his MLB debut last season, posting a 3.91 ERA, 2.73 K/BB, and 11.7 K/9 over 23 innings for the Padres.  Control has been a slight issue for Munoz (5.5 BB/9) over 106 career minor league innings, but there is definitely closer-of-the-future potential if he can fully harness his heater.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was the first to report that the Mariners and Padres were “in active talks” about a Nola trade, and also later reported Torrens’ inclusion and that players on both sides were being informed of their involvement.  ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reported that the trade had been completed, and that it was a seven-player swap that included Trammell and Adams.  As for the other players in the trade, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times was first on Altavilla, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden was first on France, and The Athletic’s Dennis Lin was first on Munoz.

Photographs courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Mariners Place Matt Magill On 10-Day Injured List

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The Mariners announced that they’ve placed right-hander Matt Magill on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder strain. They recalled righty Zac Grotz in a corresponding move.

As MLBTR highlighted earlier this week, Magill could be a trade candidate for the Mariners heading into Monday’s deadline, so it’s rather unfortunate for the club that he’s headed to the shelf. Depending on the severity of his injury, Magill’s IL placement may not completely kill the chances of a trade, but it certainly decreases the odds he’ll go anywhere before August concludes.

Even if healthy, Magill’s not exactly a premium trade candidate, as the 30-year-old has only logged a 4.63 ERA/5.24 FIP in a combined 149 2/3 innings with the Dodgers, Reds, Twins and Mariners since he debuted in 2013. But Magill was solid with Seattle a year ago, and he did coast through his first eight appearances this season before things went haywire. Since Aug. 17, Magill has made three appearances and yielded seven earned runs on seven hits (including three homers) in 2 1/3 innings.

Magill’s on a relatively minimal salary this year and controllable via arbitration through 2023. As such, the Mariners aren’t under pressure to sell low on him in the wake of a couple of poor performances and what could be a concerning injury.

Injury Notes: Judge, LeMahieu, Yankees, White, Puk, Bowden

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The latest on multiple injury situations throughout the game…

  • Aaron Judge’s most recent calf injury “seems like a recurrence of what he had before,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said during an interview with WFAN (hat tip to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch).  Judge re-injured his calf in his first game back from a minimum 10-day stint on the injured list, and Boone suggested that this latest issue “does seem minor in nature again, but certainly something that could turn into an IL stint again.”
  • While Judge is a question mark, the Yankees could potentially have DJ LeMahieu back for this weekend’s series against the Mets.  Boone said that LeMahieu took batting practice today at Yankee Stadium and will now report to the club’s alternate training site.  Assuming the second baseman is indeed able to return against the Mets, it would represent a slightly early return from the initial 2-to-3 week timeline projected after LeMahieu was initially placed on the injured list with a thumb sprain on August 16.  In other Yankees injury news, Boone said Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) also took on-field batting practice today, and that Gleyber Torres (quad/hamstring) is making good progress.
  • Evan White left during the third inning of the Mariners’ 10-7 loss to the Padres due to what the M’s termed as right shoulder discomfort.  After the game, Seattle manager Scott Servais told the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish and other reporters that White initially suffered the injury while diving for a ball in Tuesday’s game and was trying to play through the pain.  The rookie first baseman entered today’s game with only a .168/.238/.379 slash line through his first 105 plate appearances in the big leagues, though White had begun to heat up over the last week.
  • The next step in A.J. Puk’s rehab will take place Friday, as Athletics manager Bob Melvin told the San Francisco Chroncile’s Susan Slusser and other reporters that Puk will throw 30 pitches over two simulated innings against live batters.  This will be the second time that Puk has faced actual hitters during his recovery from shoulder woes that have plagued him since Spring Training.  There is still no clear timetable on when Puk could make his return to the A’s, though the club has already said that he will be deployed as a reliever in 2020.
  • Rockies pitching prospect Ben Bowden isn’t likely to make his MLB debut this season, manager Bud Black told The Athletic’s Nick Groke and other reporters.  Bowden suffered another injury he was already recovering from a back problem that sidelined him during Spring Training.  A second-round pick out of Vanderbilt in the 2016 draft, Bowden didn’t have a great performance in the hitter-friendly environment of Triple-A Colorado Springs in 2019, though the southpaw has a 3.60 ERA, 13.1 K/9, and 3.15 K/BB over 127 1/3 total minor league innings, all as a reliever.
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