The Minnesota Twins are saying goodbye to their longest-tenured player, All-Star infielder Jorge Polanco. The franchise announced on Monday night that they are trading Polanco to the Seattle Mariners in a deal that will net them a package of four players.

In exchange for Polanco, the Twins received starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, veteran reliever Justin Topa, Top 100 outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, and minor-league pitcher Darren Bowen. As part of the trade, the Mariners are also sending $8 million in cash to Minnesota.

Polanco spent all of his eight years in the major league with the Twins. He had an All-Star campaign in 2019 and was an important part of Minnesota teams that won three AL Central titles and made the postseason four times in the past seven years.

However, Polanco had a challenging 2023 campaign that saw him play only 80 games while hitting .255 with 14 homers and 48 RBIs. This and the emergence of infield talent like Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis made the 30-year-old player expendable and it was only a matter of time before the Twins decided to move him.

“(He) really was a steady presence for us for a long time,” Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey said. “When I talked to him earlier, I said, ‘Listen, in many ways, you’ll always be a Twin, and you never know how this world comes back around in baseball.’ This was a difficult decision, not just from a baseball perspective for how we value him as a player, but even more so for who he is as a human being. And the type of teammate he is.”

The deal with the Mariners now allows the Twins to slash their payroll further and keep financial flexibility for further additions. They also receive several useful players that they hope can help them make a step forward and build on their 2023 campaign that saw them reach AL Divisional Series.

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The San Francisco Giants upgraded their rotation on Friday by acquiring Cy Young-winning pitcher Robbie Ray in a trade with the Seattle Mariners.

As part of the deal, the Giants are sending outfielder veteran Mitch Haniger and right-hand pitcher Anthony DeSclafani to Seattle. 

Ray only played one game in 2023 before being shut down and undergoing Tommy John surgery. He is expected to return to the mound at some point in the summer. The 32-year-old has three more years left on his five-year, $115 million contract that comes with an opt-out after this upcoming season.

Prior to signing with the Seattle Mariners in 2021, Ray played with the Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays. He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2021 when he led the league in ERA (2.84) and strikeouts (248).

Haniger, who was an All-Star in 2018, is returning to the Mariners. He played with the franchise between 2017 and 2022 before agreeing to a three-year, $43.5 million contract with the Giants ahead of the 2023 campaign. The 33-year-old player batted a career-low .209 last season, hitting six homers and having 28 RBIs.

DeSclafani made 18 starts in 2023 and finished the season with a 4-8 record, 4.88 ERA, and 79 strikeouts. He is in the last year of a 3-year, $36 million contract.

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Catcher Mitch Garver agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract with the Seattle Mariners, sources familiar with the matter revealed. This comes after he spent the past two seasons with the Texas Rangers.

Garver proved to be a useful part-time player for the Rangers during their run to the World Series title last season. The catcher hit .270/.370/.500 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs over 344 appearances. During his time in Texas, Garver switched between catcher and designated hitter.

Among Garver’s highlights during the Rangers’ run to the World Series were his three hits and home run in the AL Championship Series Game 6 victory over the Houston Astros, another home run in Game 7, and most notably, a home run in the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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The Seattle Mariners have traded outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-hander Marco Gonzales, and first baseman Evan White to the Atlanta Braves. In exchange, they received right-handers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips.

By offloading three players to the Braves, the Mariners will be able to free up a significant amount of future guaranteed money, particularly after sending third baseman Eugenio Suarez to Arizona earlier in the window. Suarez is earning $11 million this season.

Gonzales is recovering from surgery to rectify a nerve issue in his arm. Before being injured, the 31-year-old player went 4-1 with a 5.22 ERA in 50 innings over 10 starts this season. he is expected to earn $12 million in 2024.

Following the team’s bulk trades this winter, the Mariners have lowered their payroll from $137 million on Opening Day last season to the $110 million range.

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The New York Mets decided to address their lackluster bullpen this week by executing a trade with the Seattle Mariners. The Mets received pitchers Trevor Gott and Chris Flexen while sending left-hand pitcher Zach Muckenhirn to Seattle.

Immediately after the trade became official, the Mets decided to designate Flexen for assignment. The New York team will be on the hook for $3.9 million of Flexen’s salary and can either trade him or outright release him.

Gott signed with the Mariners on a one-year, $1.2 million deal in November. He made 30 relief appearances and had a 0-3 record with a 4.03 ERA and 32 strikeouts. The Mets hope that the 30-year-old player will bring some stability to the bullpen that ranked in the bottom half of the league this season.

Flexen, who started his MLB career with the Mets, played 17 games in 2023 and made four starts with the Mariners. He has a 7.71 ERA for the season with 29 strikeouts and a 0-4 record.

Muckenhirn just recently saw his first MLB action. He made three appearances and had a 6.00 ERA.

Speaking with the reporters about the trade, Mariners’ manager Scott Servais said that the exchange of pitchers might benefit both teams.

“Trevor Gott, he did some good things for us. I thought he made some really nice improvements. That was a really good pickup for us in the offseason,” said Servais. “But this is an opportunity for those guys to go elsewhere. In the meantime, we get a player back, and we will use a couple of different players to fill that extra bullpen spot as we go forward.”

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The Seattle Mariners have placed former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray on a 15-day injured list due to a left flexor strain, the team confirmed on Saturday. In a corresponding move, the team recalled lefty Gabe Speier from Triple-A Tacoma.

Ray lands on IL after he was forced to exit his first start of the season, a 9-4 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, in the fourth inning. He threw 91 pitches, walking five batters and allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Ray said that he felt something was off with his throwing arm in the second inning.

“In the second inning it felt a little tight, but it didn’t seem out of the ordinary,” Ray said. “It was a cold night, I just thought maybe it took me a while to get loose in that second inning. I didn’t really think that much about it, but after that my arm started to tighten up a good amount.”

Speaking with reporters, Mariners manager Scott Servais said that Ray is set to be re-evaluated in two weeks. However, he is expected to miss between 4-6 weeks before being able to return to the mound.

Robbie Ray signed a five-year, $115 million contract with the Mariners in 2021. He had a 12-12 record last season, posting a 3.71 ERA with 212 strikeouts.

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The Seattle Mariners seem to have solved their first base headache. The team just announced the acquisition of All-Star first baseman Carlos Santana, who comes to Seattle from the Kansas City Royals.

The Mariners are also receiving cash consideration as part of the deal while sending pitcher Wyatt Mills and William Fleming to Kansas City.

Seattle found itself in need of first-base help after losing Ty France to a flexor strain. While he might not be able to replicate France’s consistency, Santana represented a low-cost replacement and was among the better options on the market.

Santana received All-Star and Silver Slugger honors in 2019, but his form took a dip since he joined the Royals on a two-year, $17.5 million contract ahead of the 2021 campaign. That has particularly been the case this season as the 36-year-old switch-hitter is only batting .216 with four homers and 21 RBIs. However, it is important to note that his production has been rising in recent weeks and that he is hitting .280 against the lefties.

On the other hand, the Royals have turned the last few months of Santana’s contract into two right-handers who could help them down the road. However, that most likely wasn’t their main goal. Instead, the franchise probably wanted to open up a spot for their top prospect Vinnie Pasquantino and see what they got in him.

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The Seattle Mariners have been picked by the league to host the MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby in 2023. The MLB still hasn’t issued an official confirmation but the Mariners hosting the event at their T-Mobile Park is a done deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The Mariners themselves hinted the report was true by telling their social media followers that there is a major announcement coming on Thursday.

Seattle hosted the MLB All-Star game last time in the 2001 MLB season. Curiously, it was also the last time that the Mariners made the playoffs. During that campaign, the franchise posted an American League record for most wins with 116 while reaching the AL Championship Game before being eliminated by the New York Yankees. The team currently owns the longest postseason drought (19 years) in all four major American sports.

This season’s MLB All-Star game was held at the Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field and saw American League All-Stars take a 5-2 win against the National League All-Stars. The Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was honored with the All-Star MVP award.

The league previously announced that the 2022 MLB All-Star game is set to take place at the Dodger Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, will get the honors in 2026.

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The Seattle Mariners struggled with one of the worst bullpens in the Major League last season, and they have swung a trade with the division rival Texas Rangers in a bid to alleviate at least some of those issues.

The Mariners made a deal with the Texas Rangers for right-handed reliever Rafael Montero, adding a veteran arm who has spent parts of the past six seasons in the Bigs.

Montero became the Rangers’ primary closer this season after the team lost Jose Leclerc to injury. He posted a 4.08 ERA in 17 appearances, striking out 19 batters in 17.2 innings pitched.

In exchange for their new right-handed arm, the Mariners sent a pitching prospect by the name of Jose Corniel to Texas. Seattle inked the young Dominican in last summer’s signing window for a fee over $600,000.

Montero is expected to compete for the Mariners’ closer role next season. The 30-year-old slinger shined in the role for Texas last year, successfully converting all eight save opportunities he had.

“Rafael is a solid addition to our ongoing efforts to fortify the bullpen. We see his outstanding stuff and quality performance since converting to a full-time reliever as impactful in our bullpen,” said Mariners GM Jerry DiPoto on their newest signing.

Montero is expected to report to Mariners camp in February.

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The Toronto Blue Jays, on the edge of the MLB playoff picture with a 15-14 record roughly halfway through the season, have made a move to acquire starting pitcher Taijuan Walker in a bid to bolster their rotation.

Toronto made the deal official on Thursday afternoon, announcing that they had acquired the 28-year-old righty in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.

The Mariners, who would’ve seen Walker hit the free-agent market this winter, are outside of the playoff picture at 12-19 and decided to trade him in order to get a potential piece for their future.

On the flip side, the Blue Jays currently would qualify as one of the two teams outside of the top 2 in their respective divisions to qualify, along with the Cleveland Indians. The MLB’s expanded playoffs in 2020 have allowed teams like the Blue Jays which might not have had a shot to compete for a berth to do so.

Walker could help them do so, as the veteran righty has had some good starts for Seattle this year. In 5 appearances, Walker is 2-2 with a 4.00 ERA.

The Jays currently rank 17th in baseball with a 4.66 starters’ ERA, and Walker will give them important quality depth at the position as they look to make the postseason for the first time since 2016.

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The Minnesota Twins are saying goodbye to their longest-tenured player, All-Star infielder Jorge Polanco. The franchise announced on Monday night that they are trading Polanco to the Seattle Mariners in a deal that will net them a package of four players.

In exchange for Polanco, the Twins received starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, veteran reliever Justin Topa, Top 100 outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, and minor-league pitcher Darren Bowen. As part of the trade, the Mariners are also sending $8 million in cash to Minnesota.

Polanco spent all of his eight years in the major league with the Twins. He had an All-Star campaign in 2019 and was an important part of Minnesota teams that won three AL Central titles and made the postseason four times in the past seven years.

However, Polanco had a challenging 2023 campaign that saw him play only 80 games while hitting .255 with 14 homers and 48 RBIs. This and the emergence of infield talent like Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis made the 30-year-old player expendable and it was only a matter of time before the Twins decided to move him.

“(He) really was a steady presence for us for a long time,” Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey said. “When I talked to him earlier, I said, ‘Listen, in many ways, you’ll always be a Twin, and you never know how this world comes back around in baseball.’ This was a difficult decision, not just from a baseball perspective for how we value him as a player, but even more so for who he is as a human being. And the type of teammate he is.”

The deal with the Mariners now allows the Twins to slash their payroll further and keep financial flexibility for further additions. They also receive several useful players that they hope can help them make a step forward and build on their 2023 campaign that saw them reach AL Divisional Series.

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The San Francisco Giants upgraded their rotation on Friday by acquiring Cy Young-winning pitcher Robbie Ray in a trade with the Seattle Mariners.

As part of the deal, the Giants are sending outfielder veteran Mitch Haniger and right-hand pitcher Anthony DeSclafani to Seattle. 

Ray only played one game in 2023 before being shut down and undergoing Tommy John surgery. He is expected to return to the mound at some point in the summer. The 32-year-old has three more years left on his five-year, $115 million contract that comes with an opt-out after this upcoming season.

Prior to signing with the Seattle Mariners in 2021, Ray played with the Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays. He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2021 when he led the league in ERA (2.84) and strikeouts (248).

Haniger, who was an All-Star in 2018, is returning to the Mariners. He played with the franchise between 2017 and 2022 before agreeing to a three-year, $43.5 million contract with the Giants ahead of the 2023 campaign. The 33-year-old player batted a career-low .209 last season, hitting six homers and having 28 RBIs.

DeSclafani made 18 starts in 2023 and finished the season with a 4-8 record, 4.88 ERA, and 79 strikeouts. He is in the last year of a 3-year, $36 million contract.

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Catcher Mitch Garver agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract with the Seattle Mariners, sources familiar with the matter revealed. This comes after he spent the past two seasons with the Texas Rangers.

Garver proved to be a useful part-time player for the Rangers during their run to the World Series title last season. The catcher hit .270/.370/.500 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs over 344 appearances. During his time in Texas, Garver switched between catcher and designated hitter.

Among Garver’s highlights during the Rangers’ run to the World Series were his three hits and home run in the AL Championship Series Game 6 victory over the Houston Astros, another home run in Game 7, and most notably, a home run in the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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The Seattle Mariners have traded outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-hander Marco Gonzales, and first baseman Evan White to the Atlanta Braves. In exchange, they received right-handers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips.

By offloading three players to the Braves, the Mariners will be able to free up a significant amount of future guaranteed money, particularly after sending third baseman Eugenio Suarez to Arizona earlier in the window. Suarez is earning $11 million this season.

Gonzales is recovering from surgery to rectify a nerve issue in his arm. Before being injured, the 31-year-old player went 4-1 with a 5.22 ERA in 50 innings over 10 starts this season. he is expected to earn $12 million in 2024.

Following the team’s bulk trades this winter, the Mariners have lowered their payroll from $137 million on Opening Day last season to the $110 million range.

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The New York Mets decided to address their lackluster bullpen this week by executing a trade with the Seattle Mariners. The Mets received pitchers Trevor Gott and Chris Flexen while sending left-hand pitcher Zach Muckenhirn to Seattle.

Immediately after the trade became official, the Mets decided to designate Flexen for assignment. The New York team will be on the hook for $3.9 million of Flexen’s salary and can either trade him or outright release him.

Gott signed with the Mariners on a one-year, $1.2 million deal in November. He made 30 relief appearances and had a 0-3 record with a 4.03 ERA and 32 strikeouts. The Mets hope that the 30-year-old player will bring some stability to the bullpen that ranked in the bottom half of the league this season.

Flexen, who started his MLB career with the Mets, played 17 games in 2023 and made four starts with the Mariners. He has a 7.71 ERA for the season with 29 strikeouts and a 0-4 record.

Muckenhirn just recently saw his first MLB action. He made three appearances and had a 6.00 ERA.

Speaking with the reporters about the trade, Mariners’ manager Scott Servais said that the exchange of pitchers might benefit both teams.

“Trevor Gott, he did some good things for us. I thought he made some really nice improvements. That was a really good pickup for us in the offseason,” said Servais. “But this is an opportunity for those guys to go elsewhere. In the meantime, we get a player back, and we will use a couple of different players to fill that extra bullpen spot as we go forward.”

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The Seattle Mariners have placed former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray on a 15-day injured list due to a left flexor strain, the team confirmed on Saturday. In a corresponding move, the team recalled lefty Gabe Speier from Triple-A Tacoma.

Ray lands on IL after he was forced to exit his first start of the season, a 9-4 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, in the fourth inning. He threw 91 pitches, walking five batters and allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Ray said that he felt something was off with his throwing arm in the second inning.

“In the second inning it felt a little tight, but it didn’t seem out of the ordinary,” Ray said. “It was a cold night, I just thought maybe it took me a while to get loose in that second inning. I didn’t really think that much about it, but after that my arm started to tighten up a good amount.”

Speaking with reporters, Mariners manager Scott Servais said that Ray is set to be re-evaluated in two weeks. However, he is expected to miss between 4-6 weeks before being able to return to the mound.

Robbie Ray signed a five-year, $115 million contract with the Mariners in 2021. He had a 12-12 record last season, posting a 3.71 ERA with 212 strikeouts.

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The Seattle Mariners seem to have solved their first base headache. The team just announced the acquisition of All-Star first baseman Carlos Santana, who comes to Seattle from the Kansas City Royals.

The Mariners are also receiving cash consideration as part of the deal while sending pitcher Wyatt Mills and William Fleming to Kansas City.

Seattle found itself in need of first-base help after losing Ty France to a flexor strain. While he might not be able to replicate France’s consistency, Santana represented a low-cost replacement and was among the better options on the market.

Santana received All-Star and Silver Slugger honors in 2019, but his form took a dip since he joined the Royals on a two-year, $17.5 million contract ahead of the 2021 campaign. That has particularly been the case this season as the 36-year-old switch-hitter is only batting .216 with four homers and 21 RBIs. However, it is important to note that his production has been rising in recent weeks and that he is hitting .280 against the lefties.

On the other hand, the Royals have turned the last few months of Santana’s contract into two right-handers who could help them down the road. However, that most likely wasn’t their main goal. Instead, the franchise probably wanted to open up a spot for their top prospect Vinnie Pasquantino and see what they got in him.

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The Seattle Mariners have been picked by the league to host the MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby in 2023. The MLB still hasn’t issued an official confirmation but the Mariners hosting the event at their T-Mobile Park is a done deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The Mariners themselves hinted the report was true by telling their social media followers that there is a major announcement coming on Thursday.

Seattle hosted the MLB All-Star game last time in the 2001 MLB season. Curiously, it was also the last time that the Mariners made the playoffs. During that campaign, the franchise posted an American League record for most wins with 116 while reaching the AL Championship Game before being eliminated by the New York Yankees. The team currently owns the longest postseason drought (19 years) in all four major American sports.

This season’s MLB All-Star game was held at the Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field and saw American League All-Stars take a 5-2 win against the National League All-Stars. The Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was honored with the All-Star MVP award.

The league previously announced that the 2022 MLB All-Star game is set to take place at the Dodger Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, will get the honors in 2026.

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The Seattle Mariners struggled with one of the worst bullpens in the Major League last season, and they have swung a trade with the division rival Texas Rangers in a bid to alleviate at least some of those issues.

The Mariners made a deal with the Texas Rangers for right-handed reliever Rafael Montero, adding a veteran arm who has spent parts of the past six seasons in the Bigs.

Montero became the Rangers’ primary closer this season after the team lost Jose Leclerc to injury. He posted a 4.08 ERA in 17 appearances, striking out 19 batters in 17.2 innings pitched.

In exchange for their new right-handed arm, the Mariners sent a pitching prospect by the name of Jose Corniel to Texas. Seattle inked the young Dominican in last summer’s signing window for a fee over $600,000.

Montero is expected to compete for the Mariners’ closer role next season. The 30-year-old slinger shined in the role for Texas last year, successfully converting all eight save opportunities he had.

“Rafael is a solid addition to our ongoing efforts to fortify the bullpen. We see his outstanding stuff and quality performance since converting to a full-time reliever as impactful in our bullpen,” said Mariners GM Jerry DiPoto on their newest signing.

Montero is expected to report to Mariners camp in February.

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The Toronto Blue Jays, on the edge of the MLB playoff picture with a 15-14 record roughly halfway through the season, have made a move to acquire starting pitcher Taijuan Walker in a bid to bolster their rotation.

Toronto made the deal official on Thursday afternoon, announcing that they had acquired the 28-year-old righty in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.

The Mariners, who would’ve seen Walker hit the free-agent market this winter, are outside of the playoff picture at 12-19 and decided to trade him in order to get a potential piece for their future.

On the flip side, the Blue Jays currently would qualify as one of the two teams outside of the top 2 in their respective divisions to qualify, along with the Cleveland Indians. The MLB’s expanded playoffs in 2020 have allowed teams like the Blue Jays which might not have had a shot to compete for a berth to do so.

Walker could help them do so, as the veteran righty has had some good starts for Seattle this year. In 5 appearances, Walker is 2-2 with a 4.00 ERA.

The Jays currently rank 17th in baseball with a 4.66 starters’ ERA, and Walker will give them important quality depth at the position as they look to make the postseason for the first time since 2016.

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