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Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer
The Seattle Mariners, less than 24 hours after landing Randy Arozarena, made another splash on the trade market Friday, acquiring reliever Yimi Garcia from the Toronto Blue Jays, the team announced.
Outfield prospect Jonatan Clase and minor-league catcher Jacob Sharp were sent to Toronto in the trade.
García was one of the top relievers available before next Tuesday’s trade deadline. The 33-year-old right-hander has a 2.70 ERA and 2.64 FIP in 29 appearances this season. He’s held opponents to a .152 batting average, the eighth-lowest mark among relievers who have thrown at least 30 innings this season. Hitters have compiled a .526 OPS. His 36.5% strikeout rate ranks seventh.
Unlike Seattle’s anemic offense, which has been the main culprit in the club’s recent descent, the relief corps has been largely effective this season. The Mariners’ bullpen, which has logged the fewest innings in baseball thanks to one of the sport’s best starting rotations, ranks 11th in the majors in ERA, 13th in FIP, and fourth in strikeout rate.
But a need for a backend reliever might have surfaced Wednesday when right-hander Gregory Santos exited his outing against the Los Angeles Angels with a knee injury. Santos, acquired in February from the Chicago White Sox, made his season debut on July 9 after starting the year on the injured list with a lat strain.
Santos’ setback arose after the Mariners placed star center fielder Julio Rodriguez (ankle) and shortstop J.P. Crawford (fractured hand) on the injured list earlier in a dismal 1-5 homestand that concluded Wednesday with a 2-1 loss to the Angels.
Clase, who made his major-league debut in April, had two stints with the Mariners this season, batting .195 with a .452 OPS in 19 games. The 22-year-old Dominican slashed .274/.373/.483 with 10 home runs in 59 games for Triple-A Tacoma.
Sharp, 22, hit .255 with a .773 OPS in 44 games in A-ball this season, his first full season as a pro. The 5-foot-7 catcher was taken in the 17th round out of UNLV last year.
For the Blue Jays, one of baseball’s biggest disappointments this season, the trade is the first of what is expected to be multiple moves to shed veterans for young talent before Tuesday’s deadline. Seattle, meanwhile, is attempting to stop a freefall before it’s too late.
The Mariners sat atop the American League West standings with a 10-game lead on June 18. That cushion evaporated in just over a month; they have since gone 10-20 and entered Friday’s series opener against the White Sox one game behind the blistering Houston Astros.
The front office, as a result, chose to act. Late Thursday night, they addressed an offense with the third-lowest OPS in baseball by adding Arozarena, perhaps the best hitter who will be traded before Tuesday’s deadline. On Friday, they bolstered the bullpen with one of the market’s most coveted relievers. Time will tell if the moves make the difference they need.