The Seattle Mariners acquired outfielder Mitch Haniger, right-handed pitcher Anthony DeSclafani and cash from the San Francisco Giants on Friday in exchange for left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray.
The trade marks a return to Seattle for Haniger and the end of a largely disappointing run with the Mariners for Ray, a former Cy Young Award winner who missed almost all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery.
“As we continue to build out our team for 2024 and beyond, we feel this trade accomplishes a couple of our objectives,” said Jerry Dipoto, Seattle’s president of baseball operations. “In Mitch, we get a player we know well, and hold in very high regard, as another piece for our outfield, while Anthony — who can start or pitch out of the ‘pen — gives us depth in our pitching staff. And the deal allows us to put the best team possible on the field from Opening Day on.”
Haniger, 33, signed with the Giants as a free agent prior to the 2023 season following five seasons in Seattle. His San Francisco experience was limited, however. He appeared in just 61 games, sidelined by a broken right arm and a low back strain. He hit .209 with six home runs, 28 RBIs and 27 runs in 2023.
DeSclafani, 33, appeared in 19 games (18 starts) with San Francisco in 2023, finishing 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA in 99 2/3 innings with 20 walks and 79 strikeouts. He also was limited by injuries, spending two weeks on the injured list with right shoulder fatigue and extended time with a right elbow flexor strain.
Ray, 32, went on the injured list April 1, 2023, after just one start when he threw 3 1/3 innings for the Mariners against the Cleveland Guardians in the second game of the season. He gave up five runs (three earned) in the loss and was initially diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon.
Haniger played with the Mariners from 2017-19 and 2021-22. In 530 games with Seattle, he hit .263 with 107 homers, 306 RBIs and 205 walks. He was an All-Star in 2018.
DeSclafani is 54-56 with a 4.20 ERA in nine major league seasons with the Miami Marlins (2014), Cincinnati Reds (2015-16, 2018-20) and Giants. In 180 career games (169 starts), he has struck out 830 batters in 942 2/3 innings.
Ray was 12-12 with a 3.71 ERA for the Mariners in 2022, the season after he won the American League Cy Young Award with the Toronto Blue Jays. He hs a career record of 74-71 and a 3.96 ERA with the Detroit Tigers (2014), Arizona Diamondbacks (2015-20), Blue Jays (2020-21) and Mariners (2022-23). He has 1,505 strikeouts in 1,228 innings over 226 games (222 starts).
Ray is not expected to pitch this season until around the All-Star break in July.
