Torrens stepping up big in backstop role

When general manager Jerry Dipoto traded Austin Nola to San Diego just prior to the Aug. 31 Trade Deadline, he took a big risk for the remainder of this season. With starting catcher Tom Murphy sidelined by a broken bone in his left foot, Seattle’s backstop duties for the final month fell squarely on the shoulders of newly acquired Luis Torrens, a 24-year-old who’d played just 14 games for the Padres over the previous two years.

While the prize returns in the Nola deal were highly regarded outfield prospect Taylor Trammell and Ty France, Torrens has more than held his own behind the plate and looks like an increasingly valuable piece in the seven-player swap.

Nola has done his part for the Padres, batting .276 with a pair of home runs in his first eight games. Reliever Dan Altavilla has also thrown three scoreless frames for San Diego, while Austin Adams remains on the injured list.

The Mariners’ return was more about the future with Trammell -- MLB Pipeline's No. 55 prospect -- joining the alternate training site for this season and flamethrowing 21-year-old reliever Andres Muñoz still recovering from Tommy John surgery.

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But France has hit .379 with a pair of homers in his first eight games for Seattle, and Torrens has fit in quickly with the Mariners as well, batting .240 with two doubles and two RBIs in seven games and earning high praise for his work with a young pitching staff that he’s learning on the fly.

“He’s done a really nice job adapting to everything that we throw at our catchers,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “With all the information, on top of getting to know the pitchers and the sign sequences they like to use or we’re using as a team … all those things that you really don’t see day in and day out if you’re just watching us play. They happen behind the scenes.

“I’ve been very impressed with his adaptability, being able to jump on board with guys right away. We don’t have a ton of veterans, so now you’ve got some young guys that are still trying to figure it out as well.”

While Torrens played 56 games and hit .163 in 139 plate appearances for the Padres in 2017 as a Rule 5 Draft pickup from the Yankees, he was just 21 years old at the time and had never played above Class A. The Venezuela native spent most of the past two years continuing his development in the Minors, and the Mariners appear the beneficiaries now, as they’ve added a young MLB-ready catcher with some intriguing upside.

Torrens hit .300/.373/.500 with 15 homers and 62 RBIs in 97 games for Double-A Amarillo last season and looks capable of contributing offensively as well. He went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in Saturday’s 7-3 win over the D-backs.

“I’ve been impressed with the quality of at-bats he’s had,” Servais said. “I do think there’s offensive potential there. He’s swinging the bat very well right now and makes good swing decisions. He’s very quiet at the plate, his head doesn’t move a lot, so he’s got a real good idea of the strike zone. And I like his swing."

What the Mariners are finding out is they now have another young catcher to team with Murphy as well as Cal Raleigh, the club’s No. 9 prospect, who is working at the alternate training site.

“Looking forward to the future with Luis, there’s plenty to build upon,” Servais said. “He needs to get a little stronger and just tighten up a few things in his game. I think the ceiling is really high for him, and I’m really excited about what we’ve seen so far.”