Seattle Mariners acquire Wade Miley from Boston Red Sox

An active start to the 2015 Winter Meetings continued into Monday afternoon, as the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox announced a trade that sends starting pitcher Wade Miley to the M’s. Seattle also receives reliever Jonathan Aro in the deal in exchange for hurlers Carson Smith and Roenis Elias.

The 29-year-old Miley had a mostly underwhelming season in Boston after being traded there from the Arizona Diamondbacks just under a year ago. In 32 starts he posted a 4.46 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 2.30 K/BB ratio. The lefty did seem to improve as the season progressed, however, putting up a 4.09 ERA in the second half as opposed to a 4.80 mark before the break.

Miley’s 3.81 FIP was also noticeably lower than his ERA last year, implying he may have been hurt by some poor defense. His 96 ERA+ was just under league average and was a marked improvement over 2014’s mark of 86.

These factors might suggest to the M’s that Miley could be in for a rebound next season, and pitcher-friendly Safeco Field would conceivably be a great place for him to bounce back. After losing Hisashi Iwakuma to the Dodgers, Seattle needed to address its rotation and Miley figures to help in that regard. They also brought Nate Karns over from the Rays last month.

The other major development in this deal is the Red Sox’s addition of Carson Smith. The 26-year-old reliever quietly enjoyed a very strong rookie campaign, managing a 2.31 ERA and 11.8 K/9 in 70 innings. He faltered at times during a brief run as the Mariners’ closer, but he would have no need to fill that role for the time being in Boston.

The Sox traded for closer Craig Kimbrel earlier this offseason, and introducing the promising young Smith into the mix along with Koji Uehara makes for a fearsome-looking bullpen. Innings seven through nine should be far more uncomfortable for Red Sox opponents in 2016.

Boston also nets Roenis Elias in the exchange. The 27-year-old made 22 appearances (20 starts) for the M’s last year to the tune of a 4.14 ERA while limiting lefty hitters to a .227 average. He could be rotation depth or a bullpen piece for the Red Sox next year.

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Seattle, meanwhile, picks up Jonathan Aro. The 25-year-old experienced his first taste of big league action in 2015, making six relief appearances for Boston. He also put up solid numbers (3.04 ERA,1.03 WHIP) between the Red Sox’s Double- and Triple-A clubs. Scouts have praised his strike-throwing ability and believe he projects as a middle reliever long-term.