The Seattle Mariners had yet to actually play a major league game, but on this day in 1976, they made their first trade in franchise history.
Typically, a team takes a bit to see what they have before making a trade. Players go through Spring Training, or had been with the club in previous years. There is a sense of familiarity, as well as the idea of what is lacking on the ballclub. It makes trading much easier, especially since it is better to determine a player’s strengths and weaknesses.
That luxury was not given to the Seattle Mariners, however. An expansion team set to begin play in the 1977 season, the Mariners had built a preliminary roster through the expansion draft and in free agency. However, there were still holes to fill throughout the roster, as would be the case with any expansion team.
As such, on this day in 1976, the Mariners made their first trade in franchise history. Grant Jackson, a hard throwing 38 year old reliever selected from the Yankees in the expansion draft, was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In exchange, the Mariners received infield prospects Craig Reynolds and Jimmy Sexton.
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It was a trade that became vitally important to the Pirates. In the 1979 World Series, Jackson came into Game Seven during the fifth inning with Pittsburgh trailing 1-0. He pitched through the eighth, turning the ball over to Kent Tekulve to protect a 2-1 lead. When he did, Jackson ended up winning the deciding game.
The Mariners received a solid return as well. Sexton only played one season in Seattle, appearing in just 14 games, but the Mariners traded him for Leon Roberts after the season. Roberts went on to lead the team in homers in 1978, and had double digit homers in each of his three seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
Reynolds spent two seasons with the Mariners, and made the All Star team in 1978. That year, he had a career year, with a .292/.336/.374 batting line, hitting five home runs and seven triples. After the season, the Mariners sent him to the Astros, acquiring Floyd Bannister, who gave the team their first real top of the rotation starter.
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The Seattle Mariners may not have played a game, but that did not stop them from making moves. On this day in 1976, they made their first trade in team history.