The Mariners add one of the majors’ best hitters and a bit of a reclamation project as the Reds shed salary.
The Mariners are acquiring outfielder Jesse Winker and infielder Eugenio Suárez from the Reds in exchange for right-handed starter Justin Dunn, outfielder Jake Fraley, left-handed starting prospect Brandon Williamson, and a player to be named, according to reports from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Monday. The Mariners will reportedly take on Suárez’s entire remaining salary ($35 million over three years), clearing the way for them to acquire Winker, one of baseball’s best hitters, at a discount.
BREAKING: The Seattle Mariners are finalizing a trade to acquire All-Star outfielder Jesse Winker from the Cincinnati Reds, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 14, 2022
Mariners also acquiring Eugenio Suarez from Reds, source says.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 14, 2022
Cincinnati will receive Justin Dunn, Brandon Williamson and Jake Fraley from the Mariners for Winker and Suarez, per source.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) March 14, 2022
Suarez is owed $35M over the next 3 years and the Mariners are taking on all of it. #Reds
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 14, 2022
Winker, a 28-year-old left-handed hitter, made his first All-Star team in 2021 while posting a .305/.394/.556 slash line with 24 homers in 110 games. He’s had some trouble staying healthy through his five years in the majors, but he’s been very consistent at the plate when he’s been available, hitting .288/.385/.504 for his career. He’s a massive addition to a Mariners club that seems primed to compete for the AL West title this season, and as he joins Mitch Haniger, Jarred Kelenic, Kyle Lewis, and Taylor Trammell, the Mariners may now have the most talented group of young outfielders in the majors.
Suárez, 30, has regressed from the MVP-caliber form he displayed at the end of the last decade, but he’s still one of the most talented power hitters in baseball. While he had just a .198 batting average and a .286 OBP, he still managed to slug .428 and hit 31 homers, the third time he’s hit at least 30 home runs in the last four seasons. He’s struggled defensively in recent years but could be an option as a DH in Seattle.
Dunn, 26, isn’t too far removed from being one of baseball’s top pitching prospects and still has a chance to be a frontline major league starter. He didn’t pitch after June 17 due to a shoulder strain last year, but he was quite effective when he was on the mound, posting a 3.75 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP, 49 strikeouts, and 29 walks over 11 starts (50.1 innings).
Fraley, 26, is a glove-first fourth outfielder type who can play all three outfield positions. In his first extended big-league action last season, he hit .210/.352/.369 with nine homers and 10 steals in 78 games.
Williamson, 23, was a second-round pick of the Mariners in 2019. He posted a 3.39 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP, 153 strikeouts, and 33 walks in 19 starts (98.1 innings) between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas.
