Reliever Yimi Garcia is next pickup by Mariners as they trade with Blue Jays
SEATTLE – Some 16 hours after completing the biggest deal of the MLB trade season, the Mariners made a second trade Friday afternoon to shore up their bullpen.
The Mariners are finalizing a deal to acquire veteran relief pitcher Yimi Garcia from the Toronto Blue Jays, an MLB source confirmed.
Rookie outfielder Jonatan Clase, 22, is headed to Toronto as the main trade piece from Seattle.
Clase, ranked as the Mariners’ No. 13 prospect by Baseball America, hit .195 with a .453 OPS in his first 41 major-league at-bats this season.
The Mariners are also sending minor-league catcher Jacob Sharp to Toronto to complete the deal.
Garcia, a 33-year-old right-hander, offers back-end help to a bullpen that has been worn thin in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, the Mariners’ newest high-leverage arm, Gregory Santos, exited the game in the eighth inning with a knee injury. The extent of Santos’ injury is not known.
Garcia, considered one of the top bullpen arms available, had a 2.70 ERA with five saves, 42 strikeouts and a 0.80 WHIP in 30 innings for the Blue Jays this season.
Garcia will be a free agent after this season.
Stanek traded to Mets
The Mariners continued a shake-up of their bullpen, sending veteran reliever Ryne Stanek to the New York Mets.
In return, the Mariners acquired 24-year-old Rhylan Thomas, a Triple-A outfielder ranked as the Mets’ No. 30 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
An 11th-round pick out of USC in 2022, Thomas is batting .265 with 19 doubles, five home runs and 11 stolen bases in 74 games between Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton.
On Friday afternoon, the Mariners acquired Yimi Garcia from Toronto to solidify the back end of a bullpen that has been shaky of late.
The Mariners also received an encouraging diagnosis on Gregory Santos, who left Wednesday’s game with a knee injury. An MRI did not reveal significant damage in the knee, and the Mariners are hopeful Santos can return to the mound this weekend.
That nudged Stanek out of a high-leverage role.
Stanek, who turned 33 on Friday, signed a one-year free-agent deal with the Mariners worth $4 million. He had a 4.38 ERA in 36 appearances for the Mariners, with seven saves.
Stanek had fallen out of favor after some erratic outings of late. He has a 7.94 ERA in eight appearances in July as he’s managed a minor back injury.
The trade frees up a spot on the Mariners’ 40-man roster, which stands at 39.