Seattle’s second trade of the week is another buy.
After setting M’s fandom ablaze with last night’s late acquisition of Randy Arozarena from the Rays, Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander aren’t done yet, this time adding a much-needed reinforcement to a beleaguered Seattle bullpen in a second buyer’s move.
Mariners acquiring reliever Yimi Garcia from Blue Jays for outfielder Jonatan Clase and catcher Jacob Sharp, source tells @TheAthletic. On it: @JeffPassan.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 26, 2024
Yimi García is a ten-year veteran, having suited up for the Dodgers, Marlins, and Astros before signing a two-year deal with a team option with the Blue Jays prior to the 2022 season. Since inking that deal, he’s been one of Toronto’s most reliable and durable arms, posting a 3.28 FIP over 157 innings - though he did miss about a month of action this year due to right elbow ulnar neuritis. García will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, but with the Mariners’ bullpen having been dealt yet another blow with Gregory Santos exiting due to a knee issue in Wednesday’s game, he should help shore up a thin relief corp and offer another pillar of support for All-Star Andrés Muñoz.
As for the departing pair of players, Jonatan Clase is by far the more recognizable of the two. The switch-hitting speedster made his big league debut on Jackie Robinson Day this year, notching his first big league hit in a win over the Reds. Alas, scattered playing time and riding the Tacoma shuttle off and on did his still-developing bat little favors, and he scuffled to a .195/.233/.220 slash line over just 43 plate appearances. Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 10th-best prospect on Seattle’s farm, he will presumably head to Triple-A Buffalo to get everyday reps, but with the Blue Jays looking more and more like sellers, there’s a chance he might get some looks with the big club.
As for Jacob Sharp, he was the Mariners’ 17th-round pick in last year’s draft out of the University of Nevada. He’s spent all of 2024 with Low-A Modesto, splitting time with Connor Charping behind the plate in a fairly even job share. Sharp has shown a bit of pop (.180 ISO) and strong plate discipline (9.4% BB% with a 9.7% K%), but has graded out as a below-average defender, with a caught-stealing rate of just 18% and eight passed balls allowed across 395 innings. As is, he’s solid org depth in the low minors, but if he can clean up his fielding, he could rise through Toronto’s catching-bereft farm system.
