The Seattle Mariners are poised to make the first move of the Hot Stove season by sending Mike Zunino and Guillermo Heredia to the Tampa Bay Rays for Mallex Smith
As i wrote about in this space earlier today, the Seattle Mariners were ready to shake things up. They have some assets to deal, and the first one they moved in crowded catcher market is Mike Zunino to the Tampa Bay Rays
Sources: The Mariners are working to finish a trade that would send catcher Mike Zunino and outfielder Guillermo Heredia to the Rays in exchange for outfielder Mallex Smith. Deal could be finalized in the next day.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) November 8, 2018
https://t.co/3WsH4b1z1r pic.twitter.com/hr4msB88oJ
Hear medicals still have to be completed and that besides Mallex Smith, Zunino, Heredia, there are 2 minor leaguers involved in the #Mariners #Rays deal -- 1 going each way, those names also being finalized.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 8, 2018
Who says you can’t go home again? Mallex Smith will be returning to the Seattle Mariners after spending a whopping 77 minutes with them in January of 2017 after going from the Atlanta Braves to the Mariners in a trade. The Mariners then sent him to the Rays in the Drew Smyly trade.
Even the Rays had some fun with this.
Tonight... he returns. pic.twitter.com/54iQvKkYIs
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 1, 2018
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Smith isn’t eligible for free agency until 2023 and would give the Mariners more speed in a ballpark where you need it. He led the American League with 10 triples and stole 40 bases.
The Rays have depth in their outfield with Tommy Pham, Austin Meadows and Kevin Kiermaier. Jake Bauers and Joey Wendle can play out there as well, plus Heredia can play all three outfield positions.
The Rays needed a catcher, and Zunino is not only excellent defensively, but a power source, posting three 20+ homer seasons in his career. Zunino is from Cape Coral Florida and went to the University of Florida.
Per Statcorner, Zunino was 3.9 RAA which was good for fifth among catchers with more 5,000 pitches. The 27 calls he got for his pitchers were ninth in the league. He won’t be a free agent until 2021.
For the Seattle Mariners, this represents step one of the rebuilding/retooling process. There are plenty of catchers in the free agent market that they won’t have to spend a ton of money on. Someone like Kurt Suzuki would make sense for them as a veteran behind the plate.
For the Rays, it gives them some more right-handed power and an excellent defensive catcher for their young staff.
Not a bad opening deal in what should be an active off-season.