Seattle Mariners

The San Diego Padres have acquired catcher Austin Nola from the Seattle Mariners.

Seven players are included in the deal, with minor league outfielder Taylor Trammell the biggest piece headed to Seattle:

• Padres receive: catcher Austin Nola, right-handed reliever Austin Adams and right-handed reliever Dan Altavilla
• Mariners receive outfielder Taylor Trammell, catcher Luis Torrens, infielder Ty France and right-hander Andres Munoz

The MLB trade deadline is 4 p.m. ET on Monday, and Padres general manager A.J. Preller is working feverishly to improve the roster before the window closes.

The team already added reliever Trevor Rosenthal and first baseman Mitch Moreland, and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported catcher Jason Castro is on his way from the Los Angeles Angels. The Padres are also making a run at Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger, though their pursuit appears to be losing steam.

Trammell is presumably a piece San Diego could've included in a package for Clevinger.

The 22-year-old struggled in Double-A in 2019, batting .234 with a .349 slugging percentage and 122 strikeouts in 514 plate appearances. MLB.com still lists him as the No. 60 prospect in baseball.

Landing Trammell is a nice piece of business for the Mariners, who are in the middle of a rebuild.

Trent Grisham has emerged as a steady everyday player in center field, which made Trammell somewhat expendable in San Diego. Their flurry of business also demonstrates the Padres' priorities.

Nola boasts a .306/.373/.531 slash line, and he brings a lot of defensive versatility. He has played at least one game at six different positions (catcher, first base, second base, third base, right field and left field) in MLB.

Austin Adams will join Rosenthal in fortifying a bullpen that has struggled without star closer Kirby Yates. He had a 2.96 FIP and 51 strikeouts over 31 innings with the Mariners in 2019, per Baseball Reference.

According to Passan, the 29-year-old right-hander should soon be making his 2020 debut after undergoing ACL surgery last season.

San Diego also acquired catcher Jason Castro from the Los Angeles Angels in a separate trade, sending right-handed pitcher Gerardo Reyes to L.A. in return.

The upcoming MLB trade deadline might not have quite as much drama as in previous years.

It is unlikely there will be any last-minute plays for an ace, as was the case when the Houston Astros acquired right-hander Zack Greinke from the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. Nor does it seem very likely a positional star like Nolan Arenado will change clubs, particularly given the Colorado Rockies are currently in contention.

But there is a particular group of teams who could be looking to sell expiring contracts or veteran players. The Seattle Mariners are among these clubs. 

Seattle has a few different players it might be looking to sell prior to the Aug. 31 deadline, including veteran second baseman Dee Gordon.

Gordon is no longer a regular. He is hitting just .119 with a .339 OPS in 42 at-bats. But Gordon can still steal bases, and speed might be at a premium at the deadline. The 32-year-old has a club option for next year with just a $1 million buyout, per Baseball Reference. It is possible a team gambles on Gordon in the hopes he can play some defense and take extra bases in the later innings.

Third baseman Kyle Seager is another name to watch. The 32-year-old is off to a hot start, slashing .303/.396/.528 with a 159 OPS+ and four homers prior to going 1-for-4 and hitting another homer on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Seager is owed $18.5 million next season and has a $15 million club option for 2022. That might seem expensive given his track record, but his production has been tremendous since last year's All-Star break.

However, the most intriguing player on the M's might be right-hander Taijuan Walker. According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, he is "drawing trade interest" and is also owed less than $400,000 (pro-rated) in the month of September and will be a free agent this offseason.

The 28-year-old has dealt with some health issues in recent years, but he has also put together a pair of tremendous outings in his last two times on the bump.

Walker threw six scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers last Wednesday, then followed that by tossing seven quality innings and striking out eight this past Wednesday against a prolific Los Angeles Dodgers lineup.

There are certainly concerns. Walker has traditionally been prone to the long ball, and he served up a trio to the Dodgers. Walker ranks in just the 43rd percentile in terms of average exit velocity, per Baseball Savant, and his whiff rate is in just the ninth percentile. 

That said, Walker does not get barreled up too often (86th percentile), and—despite the low whiff rate—he is averaging 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings for his career.

Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times suggested the Mariners might choose to keep Walker and try to re-sign him in the offseason. But he also noted the M's should see what kind of haul they can get given he is on an expiring deal and is not guaranteed to return to Seattle.

It remains to be seen just how many starting pitchers will be available on the market. Walker might be seen as a guy who could help a team now or—given his age—something of a honing project for the future.

The Mariners might be able to pit multiple teams against one another in a bidding war, which could potentially land them a prospect capable of contributing to a contender in the future. If they can do that, Walker might be on the move before the start of September. 

All stats and contract information obtained via Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted.

The Seattle Mariners have released Carlos Gonzalez after initially signing the outfielder to a minor league contract in February, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Seattle hadn't released any of its minor leaguers during spring training, which the coronavirus pandemic cut short, but team recently released more than 30 players, Heyman reported Thursday.

The three-time All-Star signed with Seattle on a one-year deal that would've paid him $750,000 plus performances bonuses if he made the team, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. He will instead become a free agent once again.

Gonzalez is best known for his 10 years with the Colorado Rockies when he hit .290 with 227 home runs, adding three Gold Gloves. He was at his peak in 2010 when he won the NL batting title and finished third in MVP voting.

The veteran tried to extend his career with the Cleveland Indians in 2019 but was released after 30 games and landed with the Chicago Cubs. Across the two organizations, he finished the season with a .200 batting average and three home runs in 45 games.

Seattle gave the 34-year-old another chance as a non-roster invitee, and he came through with a .273 average and .360 on-base percentage in 25 plate appearances during spring training.

With the season delayed, though, Gonzalez never got a full chance to prove he can still help a major league team. He will hope to get an opportunity with another club once the 2020 campaign begins.

The Mariners could also use some offense after finishing 2019 in last place in the AL West with a 68-94 record. The team's .237 batting average was the second-worst in the majors, ahead of only the Toronto Blue Jays.

After the latest rounds of cuts, the organization could look elsewhere for help.

Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has told the organization's minor leaguers that the team will continue to pay them through the remainder of the 2020 season, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Divish also noted that Seattle released a "large group of minor league players" Wednesday.

The start of the MLB campaign has been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The same goes for minor league ball, but Jeff Passan of ESPN reported on April 27 that a minors campaign will "probably not" happen this year.

The Mariners' news comes amid word that the Oakland Athletics told their minor leaguers that they will not pay them after May 31, per Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated.

"The A's currently field eight minor league teams," Apstein wrote. "At 25-man rosters, weekly payments running through September would amount to approximately $1.3 million. Forbes estimates the net worth of Oakland owner John J. Fisher, whose parents founded the Gap, at $2.1 billion. The A's declined to comment."

Per Kyle Glaser of Baseball America, the norm around the league is for teams to pay minor leaguers in some fashion after May 31.

The Chicago White Sox will pay minor leaguers through June, and the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres will do so through August.

The Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves will pay minor leaguers "at least" through June, with David O'Brien of The Athletic providing the report on the defending National League East champions.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will pay their minor leaguers past May 31.

All of those franchises plan to provide $400 per week for each minor leaguer. The Philadelphia Phillies will continue to pay their players but at a reduced rate beginning in June.

Other teams are making plans to pay minor leaguers, per Glaser.

As for Seattle, the M's have seven minor league affiliates in the United States and Dominican Republic.

Seattle Mariners catcher prospect Cal Raleigh beat pitcher Art Warren 6-2 in MLB The Show 20 on Friday to win the finals of the Mariners Showdown tournament.

The Mariners Showdown featured 16 players and 16 fans before concluding with the final matchup between Raleigh and Warren.

Given Raleigh's status as a catcher, it came as little surprise that he used precision pitching to score the victory, as Taijuan Walker tossed a complete game for his winning squad.

Raleigh essentially won the game in the second inning when first baseman Daniel Vogelbach crushed a two-run homer. That was followed by a pair of RBI doubles later in the frame to extend his advantage to 4-0.

Vogelbach then hit a solo shot for Raleigh in the third, giving him a 5-0 lead that proved to be insurmountable.

After falling behind 6-0, Warren did attempt to stage a comeback. He finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single and then led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run by Vogelbach.

Both Raleigh and Warren used the Mariners, so Vogelbach had a huge game collectively, with three home runs between both teams.    

Raleigh left Walker in the game despite the fact that he gave up runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but his faith was rewarded, as he was able to close it out with his starter.

In addition to giving fans something to watch while the MLB season is on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Mariners Showdown put the spotlight on some of the organization's lesser-known players.

Raleigh is a 23-year-old backstop whom Seattle took in the third round of the 2018 MLB draft out of Florida State. Two months ago, he made an impression during spring training by hitting a home run and driving in three runs in just 16 at-bats.

Last season, Raleigh split time between High-A and Double-A, and he enjoyed a great offensive year, hitting .251 with 29 home runs and 82 RBI.

Warren is a 27-year-old reliever who got his first taste of MLB action last season, posting a 1-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in six appearances for the M's.

He also made 29 appearances in Double-A and finished with a 2-1 record, 15 saves and a 1.71 ERA.   

The Seattle Mariners will cut the salaries of their baseball operations department and field staff by 20 percent amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Athletic's Corey Brock.

The action will go into effect June 1 and extend through Oct. 31. Employees making less than $60,000 will be exempted.

"We wanted to make sure we did the right thing and kept people afloat during a difficult time," general manager Jerry Dipoto said.

Dipoto told Brock those affected by the cuts were content with the decision since it meant the Mariners won't lay employees off or place them on furlough for the time being.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on April 19 that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was suspending Uniform Employee Contracts. The step allowed teams to trigger pay cuts or furloughs starting May 1 if they so chose.

Detroit Tigers CEO Christopher Ilitch said shortly after the report that the organization wasn't planning any layoffs or furloughs.

On Saturday, NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury shared a letter from Philadelphia Phillies managing partner John Middleton saying the franchise would continue paying its full-time employees through October. Middleton acknowledged "other cost-cutting alternatives" were possible, however.

MLB has yet to finalize a date when it intends to begin the 2020 season.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported owners agreed to a plan in which brief training camps would start in June ahead of Opening Day on July 1. The proposal was forwarded to the MLB Players Association for final approval.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced a ban on public gatherings of more than 250 people in the Seattle metropolitan area Wednesday amid the outbreak of the coronavirus in the state.

According to the Seattle Times (h/t ESPN), the ban will include sporting events and concerts and could have a major impact on the XFL's Seattle Dragons, MLS' Seattle Sounders and MLB's Seattle Mariners.

The Dragons are set to host the L.A. Wildcats at CenturyLink Field on Sunday, while the Sounders are next scheduled to play at home March 21 when they face FC Dallas. The Mariners have home games scheduled from March 26 to April 1.

The Mariners released a statement following Inslee's announcement: 

Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, one potential host site for the Mariners is their spring training complex in Arizona or at a neutral site. 

The XFL issued a statement announcing Sunday's game between the Dragons and Wildcats will be played as scheduled with no fans in attendance:    

The length of the ban isn't yet known, nor is it clear how teams will work around it. Other reported options include playing in front of no fans or postponing games until the ban is lifted.

Of the 260 confirmed cases in the state of Washington, 24 people have died, and most of the deaths have occurred in the Seattle area.

Per the Associated Press, at least 10 nursing homes around Seattle have reported residents testing positive for the coronavirus, and there have been deaths at three of the facilities.

The Dragons have drawn more than 20,000 fans for each of their two XFL home games this season, including the Feb. 22 game against the Dallas Renegades. It was shortly after that game that a CenturyLink Field concessions vendor who worked the event tested positive for the coronavirus.

Despite that, the King County press office released a statement saying those who attended the game were told they were at low risk of contracting the virus. The Sounders' MLS game against the Columbus Crew on March 7 also went forward as scheduled.

However, the MLS announced Wednesday that matches scheduled to be held in both Seattle and San Jose on March 21 have been postponed:

The University of Washington also announced all home athletic events will proceed as scheduled. However, they will be limited to student-athletes and family members as well as essential team personnel and recruits.

Looking elsewhere, first- and second-round games of the NCAA men's basketball tournament are scheduled to be played in Spokane, Washington, on March 19 and 21. No announcement has been made regarding whether other areas of Washington state may be subject to a ban.

The Seattle Mariners announced on Monday that they agreed to a four-year contract extension with starting pitcher Marco Gonzales. 

The extension begins in the 2021 season and is reportedly worth $30 million, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:

"Since joining the Mariners, Marco has been a model of consistency, quietly ranking among the most productive starting pitchers in the AL," general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "His presence, competitiveness, preparation and leadership make him a key part of our future."

Gonzales, 27, was 16-13 last season with a 3.99 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 147 strikeouts in 203 innings. He's now made 63 starts in the past two seasons, with 292 strikeouts in that span, emerging as a top option for the Mariners' rotation. 

On Monday, he spoke about signing the extension and remaining with the Mariners: 

"This is truly an exciting day for me and my family. We consider the city of Seattle our home, and to be welcomed by the Mariner organization and the fans with such open arms, and now this contract, is a dream come true. This organization has a vision for winning a championship, and I am honored to be a part of their plans. This will only further motivate me and the passion that I have to compete and win. I do not take their commitment to me lightly, and I will always represent this team and this city with honor and pride."

Mariners outfield prospect Julio Rodriguez congratulated Gonzales on Twitter:

Gonzales was one of the players to survive the team's rebuilding efforts. As Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported, "When the Mariners were busy shipping away tradeable players with any sort of value in the search of young talent as part of their 'step-back' rebuild plan, left-hander Marco Gonzales was one of the few that they decided to keep around."

Now, he'll be a pillar for the team's rotation for the next half-decade. 

The Seattle Mariners and minor league first baseman Evan White reportedly agreed to a six-year, $24 million contract with three club options Friday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

White spent last season with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, and Passan noted that no player at that level had ever received a long-term extension before in the history of Major League Baseball.

The Mariners selected White with the No. 17 pick of the 2017 MLB draft out of the University of Kentucky, and he put up strong numbers last season in Double-A with a .293 average, 18 home runs and 55 RBI in 92 games.

In 2018, White primarily played High-A ball but also appeared in four Triple-A games. Overall, he hit .300 with 11 homers and 66 RBI that season. With two productive minor league seasons under his belt, White was part of the All-Star Futures Game last season as well.

MLB teams have been trending in the direction of signing players to long-term deals at a younger age in recent years. White is the most extreme example since he has just four career games above the Double-A level, but he is far from the first.

Prior to the start of the 2019 season, the Chicago White Sox signed outfielder Eloy Jimenez to a six-year deal with $43 million in guaranteed money despite the fact that he had never appeared in an MLB game. Jimenez produced, hitting .267 with 31 homers and 79 RBI as a rookie.

The Philadelphia Phillies signed Scott Kingery to an extension last year, and the Houston Astros signed Jon Singleton to an extension in 2014 even though neither had any MLB service time. The jury is still out on Kingery, while Singleton is out of baseball.

The Tampa Bay Rays first popularized the practice when they signed Evan Longoria to an extension in 2008 less than one month into his MLB tenure.

Daniel Vogelbach is Seattle's top option at first base, but since he hits left-handed and White is a righty, it's possible White could find himself in a platoon situation as soon as the 2020 season.

An emotional Felix Hernandez received a thunderous standing ovation from the T-Mobile Park crowd as the Seattle Mariners right-hander made what appears to be his final start in an M's uniform after 15 seasons with the franchise in the majors.  

M's fans on the left side of the stands wore yellow shirts honoring King Felix and lifted yellow "K" signs as a grateful Hernandez bowed, tipped his cap and raised his hands to show thanks after he was taken out in the sixth inning of his team's 3-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

Hernandez went 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out three.

Known as King Felix, Hernandez signed a seven-year, $175 million contract that expires at the end of this season. That deal contains a 2020 team option, but the M's are not expected to exercise it.

Hernandez was one of the game's best pitchers from 2009-15, making six All-Star games, finishing among the top eight in the American League Cy Young voting six times and winning the award in 2010. Oddly enough, he did not make the All-Star game that season.

King Felix also led the American League in ERA in 2010 and 2014, wins in 2009 and shutouts in 2012 and 2015. He averaged 226 strikeouts per season from 2009-14 and tossed the most recent perfect game in league history in 2012 when he struck out 12 Tampa Bay Rays during a 1-0 victory.

The tail end of Hernandez's 15-year MLB tenure has been beset by numerous injuries, including calf, shoulder, biceps, forearm and shoulder ailments. He was just 1-7 with a 6.51 ERA in 14 starts entering Thursday.

However, Hernandez's season and Thursday's outing pale in comparison to the sheer dominance he displayed for Seattle during the bulk of his career, as the Associated Press' Tim Booth noted:

Hernandez also received some congratulatory messages from a few notable names, including ex-NBA superstar Dwyane Wade:

The M's signed the Venezuelan as a 16-year-old in 2002. He spent a few years in the minors before making his MLB debut as a 19-year-old in 2005.

Hernandez offered a sign of what was to come in his first home start, twirling eight shutout innings and striking out six in a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins.