Seattle Mariners Trades: Jerry Dipoto Makes Seventh Trade Of 2016 MLB Offseason For Team
Seattle Mariners trades have been a weekly occurrence since the 2016 MLB offseason began. Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has already completed seven deals, making him even more active than he was during his first offseason with the team. On Friday (Dec. 7), left-handed pitcher Tyler Pike was sent to the Atlanta Braves to complete a deal that the teams agreed to on November 28. A report by CBS Sports clarified that Pike was the “player to be named later” in this deal with the Braves.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Atlanta Braves traded RHP Max Povse and RHP Rob Whalen to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder and former first-round pick Alex Jackson. The Mariners also included a player to be named later in the deal, which has now been revealed as Tyler Pike. The acquisitions of Povse and Whalen added depth to the pitching staff, with both Minor League players likely to get Spring Training invites.
The biggest of the seven Seattle Mariners trades took place on November 23, when Dipoto acquired an All-Star leadoff hitter to improve the offense. The Mariners traded shortstop Ketel Marte and RHP Taijuan Walker to the Arizona Diamondbacks for infielder Jean Segura, outfielder Mitch Haniger, and LHP Zac Curtis. Segura is going to be the starting shortstop for the team, while Haniger has a shot to take over one of the outfield positions coming out of Spring Training.
Earlier in November, Dipoto got things started with the first Seattle Mariners trade of the offseason. The team sent relief pitcher Vidal Nuno to the Los Angeles Dodgers for catcher Carlos Ruiz. Ruis is known for his defense and brings a veteran presence to the team that will work well with the young pitching staff. The trade for Ruiz followed the Mariners passing on re-signing catcher Chris Iannetta.
Five days after trading for Ruiz, the Mariners acquired third baseman and corner outfielder Danny Valencia from the Oakland Athletics for RHP Paul Blackburn. Blackburn had shown promise during his Minor League seasons, but Valencia gives the team another bat to work with. Though the 2017 lineup hasn’t yet been announced by the Mariners, Valencia has been penciled in at the No. 2 spot by many baseball analysts.
Several other Seattle Mariners trades took place in November, where the team exchanged Minor League players with other teams. The Mariners traded RHP Andrew Kittredge, first baseman Dalton Kelly, and RHP Dylan Thompson to the Tampa Bay Rays for third baseman Richie Shaffer and shortstop Taylor Motter. The Mariners also traded Zack Littell to the New York Yankees for LHP James Pazos.
The Mariners also recently pulled off a trade with the San Francisco Giants. The Mariners receive RHP Chris Heston, who could become a member of the starting rotation during the 2017 MLB season. The team gives up a player to be named later, but that player has not yet been announced.
Quite a few new names appear on the 40-man roster for the Mariners, as the team made a flurry of additional moves. Gone are Dae-Ho Lee, Adam Lind, Drew Storen, Franklin Gutierrez, Nori Aoki, Steve Baron, Tom Wilhelmsen, Stefan Romero, David Rollins, Ryan Weber, Pat Venditte, and Zach Lee. In their places, the front office signed free agent pitchers Casey Fien and Marc Rzepczynski to battle for spots in the bullpen.
There are a number of Seattle Mariners rumors still floating around the league and on social media, suggesting that the team isn’t done making moves this offseason. The team has been shopping outfielder Seth Smith, so it shouldn’t surprise fans if he is playing for a different team in March. Another previous report by the Inquisitr also links the team to Mark Trumbo and Mike Napoli as possible free agent acquisitions.
Jerry Dipoto is working hard to improve the roster for the Seattle Mariners and it doesn’t appear that he is done making moves to get this team back to the postseason for the first time since 2001.
[Featured Image by Darin Wallentine/Getty Images]
