Update: The Mariners’ home games Tuesday and Wednesday against Oakland have been postponed to allow for more testing following a positive test among the A’s while in Houston. Makeup dates have yet to be released.
In a bid to get younger, baseball’s youngest team, the Seattle Mariners, Sunday night swapped three veterans 27 or older — C Austin Nola, 30, and relief pitchers Austin Adams, 28, who hasn’t pitched in 11 months, Dan Altavilla, 27, who has pitched poorly — for four prospects 26 or under from San Diego.
Acquired from the Padres were INF Ty France, 26; RHP Andres Munoz, 21; C Luis Torrens, 24, and OF Taylor Trammel, 22.
Right at Monday’s 1 p.m, trade deadline, the Mariners traded with the Padres again, sending reliever Taylor Williams, 29, to San Diego for a player to be named, who won’t be selected until after the season. In 14 appearances for Seattle, Williams, from Camas, WA., had six saves and a 5.93 ERA.
“We are excited to add four talented players to the Mariners organization, all of whom are playing in their age-25 or younger seasons,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a club release. “Ty France has shown the ability to play the corners of the diamond, while providing pop at the plate. Andres Muñoz is an electric arm, who at 21, has already gained experience at the big league level.
“Luis Torrens receives well behind the plate and has the ability to be a productive hitter at the major league level. Taylor Trammell is a dynamic player who has an advanced left-handed bat, speed on the bases and above-average defense in the outfield.”
The key acquisition is Trammel (6-2, 213), ranked the No. 60 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, and 68th by FanGraphs and has twice been selected to the Futures Game. In 2019, he hit a combined .234 (102×436) with 61 runs, 12 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs and 43 RBI in 126 games split between Double-A Chattanooga (CIN) and Double-A Amarillo (SD).
France slashed .309/.377/.491 with nine runs, four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in 20 games with San Diego this season. He has appeared at first base and third base. In 69 games with the Padres last season, he slashed .234/.294/.402 with eight doubles, seven home runs, 24 RBI. He was the Pacific Coast League MVP and rookie of the year.
Munoz underwent Tommy John surgery in March and won’t be available until next year. He has a fastball that topped out at 103 mph in 2019. In 22 appearances for the Padres last year, he was 1-1 with a save and a 3.91 ERA with 11 walks and 30 strikeouts.
Torrens (6-0, 208) had seven games with the Padres this season (3×11), and last year AA Amarillo was a Texas League all-star selection (105×350), batting .300 with 23 doubles, 15 home runs, 62 RBI and 42 walks, a .373 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage.
Nola was held out of the Mariners’ 2-1 win Sunday in Anaheim in anticipation of the trade. In 29 games, he was a bit of a star, hitting .306 with 15 runs scored, five doubles, a triple, five home runs, 19 RBI, and a .903 OPS. At the beginning of the season, he was set as the backup to Tom Murphy, who broke a bone in his foot and may not play in this 60-game season.
None of the four traded players figured to be a part of the Mariners’ long-term future. This season is a competitive throwaway as the club builds depth for a run perhaps in 2022.
The Mariners (15-22) beat the Angels (12-24) Monday 2-1 (box) for a split of the four-game series in Anaheim, after taking two of three from the Padres in San Diego. Marco Gonzales pitched a complete game four-hitter and struck out eight, including three against Mike Trout. Jose Marmolejos hit a solo homer in the sixth inning for the game winner.
19 Comments
Absolutely great trade for the M’s. Sure Nola is having a decent “season” this year but he was never going to be the full-time starting catcher who could catch 130+ games a year.
It is a good deal for M’s. Nola’s a nice fit for a contender, and his market was at its apex. Adams and Altavilla will do nothing for SD.
It’s not a “great” trade for Seattle. It is a trade involving second tier players and prospects. At this point, it’s looks OK, but we won’t know for quite a while. Maybe someone will blossom into the next Bucky Jacobsen. A “great” trade would been acquiring Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe for Heathcliffe Slocumb.
The Mariners aren’t looking for top-tier vets for the month of September 2020. Prospects are always about “quite a while.” Any team needs to stockpile them because attrition is inevitable for even the best GMs.
With some notable exceptions (how many times can Root Sports show the Edgar double?), “quite a while” has been since 1977.
I love the pickup of Ty France. I think he was blocked in SD by Machado and Hosmer and he’s young enough to make a real difference. Austin Adams is a tough loss, but picking up a younger, faster version is fantastic. Maybe this also means that they’re ready to hand the reins to Cal Raleigh next year, with Torrens as his backup (or Tom Murphy, if he is able to play). Something fishy with Trammel, if only because he’s been traded twice, but everyone says he’s a comer. Well done, Mr. Dipoto. And today’s deal? Hmmmm? I think there’s a call from Atlanta coming in…
I think you mean Austin Nola. Austin Adams hasn’t pitch in 11 months (ACL). Trammel had sky-high ratings that have since been lowered. But he’s only 22. Three teams in three does call him into some question.
Sorry. Actually I meant that in addition, Austin Adams is a tough loss, but replaced by a younger, faster version in Muñoz. Both coming off major surgery. A dice roll on each.
.I’m sure the pitcher injuries were seen as mutually diminished goods. As far as I can tell, no Mariners reliever has the talent/makeup to be a fireballing closer. Munoz apparently does. Worth the risk to find another Diaz.
Perhaps the Mets would be willing to trade Diaz back for a Dick’s Deluxe and a 73 Chevy Vega? After last year’s meltdown, he’s two for six in save opportunities this year.
I don’t understand this trade from the Padres standpoint. They give up a young catcher for an older catcher who is a converted infielder, and two lousy pitchers? Is the France acquisition the prelude to Kyle Seager being traded to the Braves? Will Dee Gordon be DFA’d?
It is hard to understand, although it became a little more balanced Monday afternoon when the Mariners shipped along reliever Taylor Williams to SD for PTBN. Maybe Dipoto was doing a solid for his SD pal, Preller, who’s getting hammered. SD is doing a big makeover for he playoffs.
Well, Seager and Gordon remain with the Mariners. Shufflin’ Jerry continues to rearrange the deck, but are the Mariners any better? Or, are they just constantly different? Other than Marco, their starters are mundane at best. They are down to about their fourth catcher, three-fourths of the infield can’t hit, it’s a parade in left, right and DH, and the bullpen has more extras than Ben Hur….seemingly all them awful.
No one wants Seager’s huge remaining contract, but at least he’s productive. Gordon is no longer productive.
Mariners fans are entitled to their well-earned contempt over the big picture. But in the little picture of building a contender for 2022, the moves Dipoto made this weekend aren’t for the final month of this competitively irrelevant season. I think the moves Monday and earlier with Taijuan Walker are pluses. I think the rotation behind Gonzales has competent starters in Sheffield and Dunn, and maybe Kikuchi. And White is a rookie who didn’t play AAA at all. Please give him more than 37 MLB games.
You’re welcome to be mad. It’s more fun to be curious.
I am sorry to see Walker go and Gordon stay. I hold no contempt. I’m not mad. Just fatigued.
Very sad to see Taijuan leave. Both times. I suppose it was to be expected since he only signed a one year deal but to leave for a player to be named later seemed like a deal for the sake of doing one. Taijuan IMO has never been afforded the best of opportunities to succeed during his career. Which is too bad because he’s a talent.
He’s had 100 starts and 561 innings pitched. He is 34-33 with an ERA under 4.00. He’s had plenty of opportunities and he’s young enough to have good years ahead of him. But, at least thus far, he’s a bottom of the rotation guy. It’s another example of Shufflin’ Jerry shuffling the deck and getting different, but not better.
IMO only once in his career did he play on a very good team and that was in 2017, his first year with Arizona where they won 93 games and made the playoffs. He had an actual closer in Fernando Rodney who saved 39 games and a bullpen with 4 pitchers who pitched more than 50 innings and an ERA under 4.00. During his time here the team has always been in flux, especially with its pitching. When Bryan Price was hired as the M’s pitching coach GM Pat Gillick asked him during his interview what Price would do if Lou Pinella left a pitcher on the mound too long and Price said he’d have no problem standing up to Lou because pitchers were his responsibility, not Lou’s. I don’t know if Taijuan has had that type of pitching coach. It could be the difference between being a good and great pitcher. Also Dipoto didn’t draft him so he doesn’t champion him like he does Kyle Lewis.
Just not sure about giving up your starting catcher for added depth in the farm. Unless the club is absolutely certain that Murphy will return any time and pick up where he left off from last year. At some point Jerry has to let the team grow together.