Win-now Mariners get ‘dangerous offensively’ by acquiring Teoscar Hernández

After we final noticed new Mariners outfielder Teoscar Hernández, he was doing the one factor his new crew hopes he’ll do much more of in 2023.

You haven’t forgotten Recreation 2 of the American League Wild Card Collection in Toronto, have you ever? You recognize, the sport the place Seattle trailed 8-1 after 5 innings, earlier than rallying for a 10-9 victory within the clincher over the Blue Jays.

Toronto’s early lead that day was partly constructed on two residence runs by Hernández, who on Wednesday was acquired from Toronto for reduction pitcher Erik Swanson and minor-league pitcher Adam Macko.

That type of manufacturing — Hernández had averaged 24 residence runs the final 5 seasons — is precisely what the Mariners coveted essentially the most as they forged apart the SOLO cups of Champagne from their dreamy 2022 season and moved ahead with constructing a greater roster for 2023.

“We would have liked to get extra harmful offensively,” Mariners common supervisor Justin Hollander mentioned in a post-trade information convention over Zoom.

This will likely very properly go down as an important offseason in membership historical past (for lots of causes), and the Mariners kicked it off in splendid vogue by including Hernández, who turned 30 final month and will likely be a free agent following this season.

Seattle did so by shifting a participant from the deepest a part of its core — the bullpen — and a prospect in Macko, who most likely would have slot in someplace on the again finish of their top-10 prospect rankings. The Mariners additionally made this deal with out shifting pitcher Chris Flexen, one in all their high commerce chips.

Sure, the truth that Hernández will likely be a free agent following the season mitigated the return the Jays bought within the deal. Hernández, arbitration-eligible for the ultimate time, will make round $14 million. There’s all the time an opportunity the Mariners can prolong him.

If that occurs, it’ll comply with a current (uncommon) behavior of spending by Seattle. Up to now calendar yr, the Mariners have given pitcher Robbie Ray $115 million, have assured heart fielder Julio Rodríguez $209 million (and presumably extra over time) and now have given pitcher Luis Castillo $108 million.

Sure, it seems the times of fringe trades with the hopes of catching lightning in a bottle could also be gone for the Mariners.

The Mariners, coming off a season the place they drew 2.28 million followers to T-Cell Park, have (seemingly) recaptured the love and pleasure from their forlorn fan base. The membership will host the All-Star Recreation subsequent July. It is a franchise that’s clearly trending upward.

Hernández, who figures to play proper discipline, isn’t an excellent defender (minus-3 defensive runs saved), however the Mariners didn’t purchase him for his glove. They wanted one other productive bat for a lineup that scored one run or much less 29 instances — but nonetheless received 90 video games.

Steamer projections for 2023 have Hernández hitting 30 residence runs with a 121 wRC+ and a 2.3 WAR. He’ll assist. And he ought to definitely assist lots. In case you’re questioning how Hernández’s energy will play in a ballpark that has suppressed offense think about this: If he had performed all his video games in Seattle a yr in the past, these 27 residence runs would have equated to 31 residence runs.

Actually, Hernández’s energy would most likely play properly at Yellowstone Nationwide Park.

And now Hernández joins a crew that he mentioned reminds him of these Blue Jays groups he performed on up to now — younger, hungry and gifted. Hernández, who mentioned he wasn’t stunned to be traded, mentioned he was trying ahead to taking part in in Seattle.

“What I can see this crew is able to, it’s fairly superior,” Hernández mentioned on a name Wednesday. “Being part of that’s thrilling for me. I couldn’t be any happier to be part of this.”

This deal, in fact, didn’t come with no price. Swanson was a essential cog to the Mariners’ bullpen a yr in the past, posting a 1.68 ERA in 57 video games with a whopping 34 % strikeout fee. He’ll must be changed, however the membership definitely has a historical past of figuring out and serving to relievers to turn into the perfect variations of themselves.

“There was a fairly first rate marketplace for Teo as you’ll count on,” mentioned Toronto common supervisor Ross Atkins. “In the long run, it labored out that Seattle put the perfect provide in entrance of us.”

Macko, a left-hander from Alberta, Canada, will flip 22 subsequent month. He’s been restricted to 85 innings over the previous two seasons due to accidents. Seattle favored his make-up and his pitch combine, however with the prospect to strike large now, the membership was keen to maneuver him in the best deal.

This, to make certain, was the best deal.

“We had an opportunity so as to add an influence bat,” Hollander mentioned. “This one was too good a possibility for us to cross up on.”

There have definitely been instances through the Mariners’ rebuild, which started in earnest after the 2018 season, when strikes just like the one the membership made Wednesday felt unbelievable or, on the very least, 1,000,000 miles away.

However the Mariners’ aggressive window is now extensive open and coming off a historic season of significant baseball, the membership noticed this transfer as a win-now deal that may assist them obtain their aim of constructing a sustainable winner.

“Our roster is constructed to win right now,” Hollander mentioned.

Locking up Ray, Rodríguez and Castillo long-term was a begin. And now dealing for Hernández helps in shifting that needle, with the prospect that extra assist for the roster is on the best way.

The offseason has lengthy represented one thing of a winter of discontent for Mariners’ followers. And whereas it’s too early to say that has modified fully, strikes just like the one the Mariners made Wednesday appear to counsel a courageous new world is upon us.

 (Photograph of Hernández: Todd Kirkland / Getty Pictures)