Mariners acquire versatile Rojas, two prospects for Sewald

SEATTLE -- In an extremely quiet Trade Deadline season (at least by the Mariners’ standards and those of president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto), Seattle finally joined the action on Monday and did so by addressing areas of need in acquiring two big league bats and a promising prospect from the D-backs.

But adding those pieces also required them to part with closer Paul Sewald, an instrumental piece of the rebuild that helped Seattle end its postseason drought last fall.

The club has also dealt veteran AJ Pollock and Minor Leaguer Mark Mathias to San Francisco, along with cash considerations, in exchange for either cash considerations or a player to be named from a Giants system that MLB Pipeline ranks 17th. Pollock is earning $7 million in 2023 on a one-year deal.

TRADE DETAILS

Mariners receive: 3B Josh Rojas, OF/1B Dominic Canzone (Arizona's No. 19 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), SS/2B Ryan Bliss (No. 29 prospect)
D-backs receive: RHP Paul Sewald

Mariners receive: PTBN or cash considerations
Giants receive: OF/DH AJ Pollock, INF Mark Mathias, cash considerations

The guys they got
Canzone and Bliss will slot in at Nos. 13 and 14, respectively, in the Mariners’ MLB Pipeline rankings, and Rojas will be a contributor.

Rojas, 29, is a career .252/.330/.367 (.697 OPS) hitter with 22 homers, 77 doubles and 43 steals in 381 MLB games, all with the D-backs. He's played mostly third base in the Majors (150 games) but has also played second, shortstop and both corner outfield spots. For a front office that loves defensive versatility, he fits the mold.

“I’m excited to go to a contender; that’s exciting for me,” Rojas said. “We’ve got a lot of moving parts going on, but it’s going to be good to get settled in.”

Canzone, 25, has slashed .237/.293/.368 (.661 OPS) with one homer since making his MLB debut on July 8, but he has a .933 OPS with 60 homers in four Minor League seasons. The former Ohio State Buckeye profiles more as a corner outfielder, but he did play 26 games at first base last year at Triple-A Reno.

Moreover, they’re both lefty hitters who will be welcome additions to a righty-heavy lineup.

“They're very athletic players,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “They're good defenders. They can run. So it's more of the athletic, make things happen in the field. Both guys hit the fastball very well against us in Arizona. Again, we'll have to wait to see how things play out. But on paper, it looks like a good addition to our lineup.”

Bliss might be the most intriguing player in the return, having torn through Double-A this year for a slash line of .358/.414/.594 (1.008 OPS) that included 12 homers and 30 steals, though he’s had some challenges in 13 games since being promoted to Triple-A. The 23-year-old was poised to make a big jump on MLB Pipeline's list of the D-backs' Top 30 prospects in the midseason re-rank set to be unveiled next week.

Bliss was bumping against Arizona’s No. 1 prospect, Jordan Lawlar, at shortstop and was getting more looks at second, where many believed he would be a better long-term fit -- potentially as soon as next year in Seattle. His above-average speed makes him a constant steal threat in the modern age, so Bliss doesn’t even have to hit a ton to become a potential utility infielder at the top level.

Saying goodbye to Sewald
Sewald was the Mariners’ most likely piece to be moved given that he’s emerged as one of the American League’s best high-leverage relievers over the past three seasons after proverbially remaking himself in Seattle back in 2021, when he signed a Minor League contract. He’s earning $4.1 million this year and will certainly receive a sizable raise in his final year of arbitration eligibility in 2024, after which he’ll become a free agent.

The 33-year-old has racked up a career-high 21 saves to go with a 2.93 ERA and 139 ERA+ and 60 strikeouts in 43 innings for a 35.5% K rate. He was used heavily in July, logging 12 appearances in Seattle’s 22 games, including a stretch of pitching five out of six days last week.

“I'm kind of still in shock of what happened while I was here,” Sewald said. “Like I said, I came here thinking about Plan B and leave as a closer traded to a contender for three prospects. It's kind of wild. I will be forever thankful for [the Mariners] changing how I pitch, and I'm going to do the same thing in Arizona.”

The Mariners must now determine what to do with Sewald’s role. Servais noted that Andrés Mu?oz, Matt Brash and Justin Topa are in the mix but that it will be fluid for now.