The Seattle Mariners made their first notable acquisition of the MLB offseason today when they traded for one-time Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Teoscar Hernández.
On Wednesday morning, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan was the first to report the news of the Mariners adding a talented asset to their outfield for 2023. “All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández has been traded to the Seattle Mariners from the Toronto Blue Jays, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.”
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In a follow-up tweet following the initial report, Passan added what the Blue Jays are set to receive in return for the 2021 All-Star.
“Heading back to Toronto in exchange for Teoscar Hernández are right-handed reliever Erik Swanson and left-handed starter Adam Macko, sources tell me and Kiley McDaniel. Swanson had a 1.68 ERA last year while Macko was in High-A. Hernández is a free agent after the 2023 season.”
– Report on Mariners and Blue Jays trade
Seattle Mariners find a major upgrade for right field
In adding Teoscar Hernandez the Seattle Mariners have addressed their right field issues. Veterans Mitch Haniger and Dylan Moore got the bulk of the at-bats in right last season when prospect Jarred Kelenic again disappointed after an opportunity to become the everyday starter.
Hernandez had a career season in his sixth year in the league in 2021. His performance earned his first and only All-Star honors as he batted just under .300, hit 32 home runs, and knocked in 116 runs. This past season he saw a notable drop in his productivity as his average fell by 30 points and he was down to 25 HR and 77 RBIs, respectively.
Henandez is only contracted for one more season with a projected arbitration cost of $14.1 million.
While the 30-year-old took a step back last season, he is still an improvement in the outfield to go alongside superstars Julio Rodriguez and left fielder Jesse Winker. He will also go from the Toronto Blue Jays to the team that eliminated them in the 2022 MLB playoffs, the Seattle Mariners.