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Seattle Mariners

AP source: Giants agree to trade Chris Heston to Mariners

In this Friday, Oct. 2, 2015 file photo, San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Chris Heston throws to the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco. A person with knowledge of the talks says the San Francisco Giants have agreed to trade right-hander Chris Heston to the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
By Janie Mccauley Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Giants have agreed to trade right-hander Chris Heston to the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named, a person with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized.

The Giants did not have a spot for the 28-year-old in their rotation featuring Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Moore and Matt Cain. Seattle’s need for additional rotation depth made the Mariners a perfect partner.

After going 12-11 as a rookie in 2015 and pitching a no-hitter against the Mets on June 9 that year, Heston spent most of this season in the minors, making just four appearances for San Francisco. He went 1-1 with a 10.80 ERA in five innings of relief.

Heston showed enough as a rookie for Seattle to view him as a worthwhile option for its starting staff. The Mariners’ rotation was thinned significantly when they traded Taijuan Walker to Arizona last month in a deal that brought back shortstop Jean Segura. Segura filled a crucial hole, but his acquisition came at a significant cost in Walker.

Seattle’s rotation for next season now includes Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton as certainties, leaving Ariel Miranda, Nathan Karns and Heston as the trio likely to compete for the final two spots.