San Francisco Giants fans eagerly awaiting a big-named roster addition this offseason have finally gotten their wish. Only not in the way anyone envisioned.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Giants and Seattle Mariners have agreed on a trade involving a former Cy Young winner.
- San Francisco Giants receive: SP Robbie Ray
- Seattle Mariners receive: OF Mitch Haniger, RHP Anthony DeSclafani
While Ray did win a Cy Young award in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays, he has since undergone Tommy John surgery, which restricted him to just 3.1 innings pitched in 2023. But Ray is expected to be allowed back on the mound after the All-Star break.
If the left-handed pitcher can return to his All-Star form, the Giants are getting a frontline starter to help stabilize their rotation.
- Robbie Ray career stats: 3.96 ERA, 1.305 WHIP, 109 ERA+, 4.07 FIP
Yet, it also costs Mitch Haniger, who the Mariners are already familiar with from his five-year tenure in Seattle, where he became an All-Star in 2018. Haniger has also battled injuries the past two seasons, being held to just 118 games and 17 home runs in that span. It’s a far cry from the 39 home runs hit across 157 games with the Mariners in 2021.
Both teams hope their newly acquired All-Stars return to peak form, and maybe a change of scenery is just what’s needed to get their careers back on track.
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