Mariners acquire reliever García from Toronto

CHICAGO -- Less than 24 hours after swinging a deal for All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena to address their most glaring need ahead of Tuesday’s Trade Deadline, the Mariners on Friday afternoon filled another position they intended to add to by acquiring high-leverage reliever Yimi García from the Blue Jays.

Outfielder Jonatan Clase is the key return for the Blue Jays, heading to Toronto along with Minor League catcher Jacob Sharp. The move was official shortly before Seattle’s series opener against the White Sox, and both García and Arozarena are expected to join the club on Saturday.

TRADE DETAILS
Mariners receive: RHP Yimi García
Blue Jays receive: OF Jonatan Clase (Seattle's No. 10 prospect by MLBPipeline), Minor League C Jacob Sharp (unranked)

"It’s a mix of emotions that I’m feeling right now,” García told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson through an interpreter. “I’m very happy that I’m going to the Mariners, of course. They’re contending right now.”

García, who turns 34 next month, is in his third season with the Blue Jays and arguably the best of his 10-year career. He is a free agent at season’s end and is earning $6 million this year after reaching a vesting option based on performance to the two-year, $11 million contract he signed ahead of the 2022 season.

García has compiled a 2.70 ERA (151 ERA+) this year over 30 innings across 29 outings, with 42 strikeouts, eight walks, a 0.80 WHIP and .526 OPS against. He has five saves and 10 holds, and the struggling Blue Jays went 22-7 in games he pitched. His 36.5% strikeout rate would be MLB’s seventh-best among relievers if he had enough innings to qualify. And his 96.7 mph fastball velocity is the highest of his career, though he’s leaned more on his breaking balls -- a curveball and sweeper -- the past two years.

García was recently sidelined for one month with right elbow ulnar neuritis but was activated from the IL last Friday and has since made two appearances.

“His energy,” said Mariners reliever Trent Thornton, who played with García in Toronto. “Like, you'll see -- when you talk to him, he giggles. He's always laughing, always smiling. When he's on the mound, he's a bulldog. But like, he just has really good vibes all the time. He's one of the nicest guys I've ever played with.”

The Mariners’ bullpen has been above average this season by most metrics, but not at its dominant status from 2021-23. That’s largely been related to injuries and heavy use over the past few weeks.

Matt Brash (Tommy John surgery) and Gregory Santos (who missed the first 92 games with a right latissimus dorsi strain and then left Wednesday’s game with a right knee injury) were expected to form a three-headed attack along with Andrés Muñoz, who earned his first All-Star selection this month. Santos is expected to avoid the IL, Mariners manager Scott Servais said on Friday, after undergoing an MRI that “came back OK.”

Yet regardless of Santos’ status, the Mariners viewed another late-inning power arm as a priority before the Deadline.

“Obviously, he's been in the league a bunch,” Servais said of García. “We really liked him. He's a very good competitor. He's got good stuff. I know he was on the IL earlier this year, but I think all reports are that he's healthy and good to go, in texting with him.”

During Seattle’s mid-summer swoon dating to June 19, when the club held a 10-game lead atop the AL West, its relievers have been charged with nine of the Mariners’ 20 losses, which are tied for the second-most in this stretch. Granted, much of that can also be tied to a lack of run support earlier in games, as the Mariners have scored just 3.24 runs per game during this 9-20 run.

As for Clase, he showed in spurts the flashy tools -- especially speed -- that he offers over 19 big league games, after making his MLB debut on April 15. But he also was part of an outfield logjam, even though that group as a whole has underachieved. Overall, Clase has slashed .195/.233/.220 (.452 OPS) in the Majors and was back-and-forth from Triple-A Tacoma four times.

Sharp was a 17th-round Draft pick in 2023 out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and has spent all of this season at Single-A Modesto, where he’s hit .255/.339/.435 (.773 OPS) with six homers, 11 doubles, 29 RBIs, 19 strikeouts and 18 walks in 44 games.