Padres, Mariners swing 7-player trade involving Nola, Trammell
The San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners pulled off a seven-player trade that sent catcher/infielder Austin Nola to the Padres for a package that includes top outfield prospect Taylor Trammell, they announced Sunday.
San Diego sent Trammell, catcher Luis Torrens, infielder Ty France, and reliever Andres Munoz to Seattle in exchange for Nola, and relievers Dan Altavilla and Austin Adams.
Nola, who did not play in Seattle's win over the Angels Sunday, is the key piece heading to San Diego. The 30-year-old is enjoying a breakout season for the Mariners, hitting .306/.373/.531 with five homers and 19 RBIs, while his 1.2 WAR is tied with J.T. Realmuto for the league lead among catchers, according to FanGraphs.
Though he has served as the Mariners' primary catcher this year, Nola is a versatile player with time spent at first, second, and third base during his brief MLB career. Due to debuting in the majors at age 29, he is not eligible for arbitration until 2023.
San Diego now has a bevy of catchers at its disposal with Nola, Austin Hedges, and veteran Jason Castro, who the team acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in a separate trade. Francisco Mejia is also on the injured list with a thumb issue.
Adams - a right-handed reliever who's currently on the injured list while rehabbing from a torn ACL last fall - is also heading to San Diego. When healthy, the 29-year-old has produced solid numbers in relief, sporting a 3.79 ERA and 1.37 WHIP while averaging nearly 15 strikeouts per nine innings across three partial seasons. He will not become eligible for arbitration until 2022.
Adams has been progressing in rehab, and the Padres expect him to return to the mound "soon," according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Altavilla has struggled on the mound this year. The right-handed reliever owns a 7.71 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 11 2/3 innings for Seattle while striking out 14 batters, but has walked 7 and is averaging 5.4 walks per nine. The 27-year-old will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter.
Trammell, the Padres' No. 5 prospect and 60th in MLB according to MLB.com, headlines Seattle's return, and gives the Mariners yet another young outfielder in their growing farm system. The 22-year-old was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds and joined the Padres last July as part of a three-team trade.
While playing at Double-A last year, Trammell hit .234/.340/.349 with 10 homers, 43 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases over 126 games split between the Padres and Reds' affiliates.
Torrens, a former Rule 5 draft pick, has appeared in 70 games for the Padres over the past four seasons, including seven this year. The 24-year-old is a career .176/.256/.223 hitter, and comes with another four years of team control.
France is hitting .314/.375/.510 with two homers and 10 RBIs over 56 plate appearances for San Diego this year, his second in the majors. While he's served primarily as the Padres' designated hitter in 2020, France offers defensive versatility as a natural third baseman who's also seen time at first and second in the bigs.
Munoz, 20, made his big-league debut last year and posted a 3.91 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 11 walks in 22 appearances. He's currently on the 60-day injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March.
This is the Padres' fourth trade in the last 24 hours. They've also added Castro, reliever Trevor Rosenthal, and first baseman Mitch Moreland in an attempt to end their 13-year playoff drought.