M's boost offense, trade for Jays OF Hernandez

The Seattle Mariners acquired slugger Teoscar Hernandez successful a commercialized with the Toronto Blue Jays connected Wednesday, fortifying a lineup successful request of different large bat arsenic they effort to drawback the Houston Astros, their part rival and World Series champion.

Right-handed reliever Erik Swanson and left-handed pitching imaginable Adam Macko went to the Blue Jays, whose bullpen issues past play were astir evident successful a 10-9 wild-card bid nonaccomplishment to the Mariners that ended their season.

Hernandez, 30, deed a brace of location runs successful that crippled and is simply a two-time Silver Slugger victor whose powerfulness successful close tract is unimpeachable. He deed .267/.316/.491 past play with 25 location runs and 77 RBIs successful 131 games and should antheral close tract alongside the American League Rookie of the Year winner, halfway fielder Julio Rodriguez.

Toronto's willingness to woody Hernandez has much to bash with his declaration presumption than the prime of his play. He is owed to deed escaped bureau aft the 2023 play and is expected to marque astir $14 cardinal successful arbitration. The Blue Jays, sources said, program to get different outfielder this offseason.

In Swanson and Macko, they added 1 limb expected to assistance their bullpen this twelvemonth and different with high-end-starter potential.

Swanson, 29, had a breakout 2022 season, putting up a 1.68 ERA with 70 strikeouts successful 53⅔ innings. With a four-seam fastball that has near-perfect backspin and a split-fingered fastball that developed into a strikeout limb this year, Swanson was a captious portion of the Mariners' bullpen -- and volition articulation person Jordan Romano, Anthony Bass, Adam Cimber, Yimi Garcia, Zach Pop and Tim Mayza successful a bullpen that could beryllium a spot for Toronto.

Macko, who turns 22 successful December, struck retired 60 implicit 38⅓ innings successful High-A this twelvemonth and features a mid-90s fastball and a brace of breaking balls that springiness him important upside. Born successful Slovakia, helium graduated from precocious schoolhouse successful Vauxhall, a tiny municipality successful Canada's Alberta province, successful 2019. The Mariners selected him successful the seventh circular of the 2019 draft.

The Mariners could reap an further payment provided Hernandez has a emblematic season: If they tender him a qualifying connection pursuing 2023 and helium signs elsewhere, Seattle would person a draught prime astir the 75th pick, with a slot worth of astir $850,000.