Rays, Mariners swap Karns, Morrison in 6-player trade
Jerry Dipoto didn't waste any time making an impression, constructing his first trade since being named general manager of the Seattle Mariners on Sept. 28.
The Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays announced Thursday they've completed a six-player deal.
Tampa Bay will send right-hander Nathan Karns, left-hander C.J. Riefenhauser, and minor-league outfielder Boog Powell to the Mariners in exchange for first baseman Logan Morrison, utility player Brad Miller, and right-hander Danny Farquhar.
"As I said when I was hired, we need to get more flexible, more athletic, and build pitching depth," Dipoto said in a press release. "This trade allows us to do all three. Powell brings speed, defense, and on-base percentage to the table and could be ready to help us as soon as 2016, while Karns and Riefenhauser give us young, but experienced, pitching options."
Karns, 27, appeared in 27 games for the Rays last season, 26 of which he started. He posted a 3.67 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 147 innings of work, while striking out 8.9 hitters per nine innings pitched.
The right-hander also led AL rookies in starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts last season.
MARINERS 2016 PROJECTED ROTATION
| PITCHER | W-L | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felix Hernandez | 18-9 | 3.53 | 1.18 |
| Taijuan Walker | 11-8 | 4.56 | 1.20 |
| James Paxton | 3-4 | 3.90 | 1.43 |
| Nathan Karns | 7-5 | 3.67 | 1.28 |
| Mike Montgomery | 4-6 | 4.60 | 1.43 |
The 25-year-old Riefenhauser made 17 appearances out of the Rays' bullpen. He whittled his ERA down to 5.52 with an impressive late-season stretch that saw him allow just two earned runs through September and October.
Powell, 22, was a 20th-round draft selection of the Oakland Athletics in 2012, coming to the Rays as part of a 2015 trade featuring Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar, and John Jaso.
The youngster hit .295/.385/.392 with three home runs, 40 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases in the minors last season.
Morrison spent the past two seasons with the Mariners, and will add pop to the Rays' lineup. The 28-year-old hit 17 home runs and 54 RBIs in 2015.
Miller's a former second-round pick who played six different positions for Seattle last year, while hitting .258/.329/.402 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs.
"We've liked him for a while, we've been impressed by his work at shortstop, and it's always a plus to have a left-handed hitting middle infielder," Rays president Matt Silverman told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "We'll take him and the many other guys we have and head into spring training feeling good about our situation in the middle infield."
Farquhar, 28, will join the fifth franchise of his career, having already been a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Athletics, New York Yankees, and Mariners.
After a solid 2014 campaign, the right-hander's ERA skyrocketed to 5.12, while he posted a 1-8 record in 43 big-league appearances last season.