The Seattle Mariners had holes at second and third base as spring coaching approached. They’ve solved not less than a kind of considerations.
In accordance with Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Mariners have acquired Jorge Polanco from the Twins. Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported that the Twins are receiving reliever Justin Topa, starter Anthony DeSclafani, and outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN reported that pitcher Darren Bowen is the fourth participant heading to Minnesota.
The Mariners had mentioned that they had been wanting so as to add extra contact-oriented hitters to their lineup. Polanco suits the mould of what basic supervisor Jerry Dipoto had envisioned. He produced a .255/.335/.454 batting line in his 343 plate appearances, hitting 14 homers and 19 doubles. He struck out at a 25.7% fee final yr, however has a profession 18.2% strikeout fee over his profession. Polanco would match Dipoto’s imaginative and prescient.
The Twins are getting assist each now and sooner or later. Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan are a powerful duo atop their rotation however they need assistance. DeSclafani, if wholesome, could possibly be part of the answer. He posted a 5.16 ERA and a 1.374 WHiP in his 118.2 innings as he battled ankle, shoulder, and elbow woes over the previous two years. Nevertheless, he had established himself as a stable middle-of-the-rotation arm earlier than his accidents.
Topa ought to slot into the center of the Twins’ bullpen. He was a stable center reliever in Seattle final season, posting a 2.61 ERA and a 1.145 WHiP in his 69 innings, putting out 61 batters with 18 walks. The 32-year-old carried out properly in his first prolonged have a look at the most important league stage in 2023.
Bowen was a Thirteenth-round choice by the Mariners within the 2022 MLB Draft. He has the makings of a plus fastball and slider, with the fastball sitting within the mid-90s. He additionally has a changeup however that providing wants work to turn out to be a viable third providing. Bowen is taken into account to have a sophisticated really feel for pitching however might find yourself being a aid prospect on account of his fastball/slider mixture.
Gonzalez is the massive prize for the Twins. MLB.com charges him because the 79th-best prospect in baseball, a strong-armed outfielder with a knack for making contact and loads of energy potential. He produced a .298/.361/.476 batting line in his 535 plate appearances between A-ball and Excessive-A, hitting 18 homers and 23 doubles. As he works on lifting the ball extra and will get in higher form, these energy numbers ought to enhance.
That is a kind of trades that would make an impression on each groups. The Twins wanted pitching assist for 2024 and now have a pair of prospects that could possibly be important items sooner or later. The Mariners not solely added a participant for both second or third, however additionally they introduced in somebody whose contact means suits their imagined lineup.
