MINNEAPOLIS — In moves that seem to signal resignation in a deeply disappointing season, the Seattle Mariners traded two veteran pitchers just prior to Friday’s non-waiver trade deadline.
Right-hander Mark Lowe, the club’s best reliever, is heading to Toronto for three minor-league lefty relievers, while lefty starter J.A Happ went to Pittsburgh for another minor-league pitcher, a right-handed starter.
“Had the situation been a little bit different,” general manager Jack Zduriencik said, “we probably would have viewed that differently.”
Instead, the Mariners entered the weekend at 46-57 and trailing first-place Houston by 12 games in the American League West Division; they were also eight games back in the wild-card race.
So time to deal.
The Mariners received lefties Rob Rasmussen, Nick Wells and Jake Brentz from Toronto in the trade for Lowe. Rasmussen is joining the big-league club, while Wells and Brentz were assigned to Short-A Everett.
The trade for Happ returned right-hander Adrian Sampson, a Redmond native who attended Skyline High School in Sammamish and Bellevue College. Sampson was assigned to Triple-A Tacoma.
The two deals came one day after the Mariners sent outfielder Dustin Ackley to the New York Yankees for two minor-league players: outfielder Ramon Flores and right-handed reliever Jose Ramirez.
Flores was assigned to Tacoma, while Ramirez was recalled to the big-league club. The Mariners also recalled first baseman/designated hitter Jesus Montero and infielder Ketel Marte from Tacoma prior to Friday’s game.
“Obviously, we’ve gotten a lot younger,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “It gives us a chance to take a look at some of our young talent and see what happens. My hope is they energize us a little bit.”
Zduriencik and McClendon each denied the Mariners were shifting to a development-and-evaluation mode over the season’s final two months.
“I don’t think that’s fair (as an assessment),” McClendon said. “Every time I put on this uniform, I’m going out to win a game. In the process, we’ll evaluate. But you can bet your (backside), I want to win games.”
Zduriencik said: “I don’t think I view it that way. Mark Lowe was a really nice piece for us, and it’s very difficult to give him up.
“But when you’re sitting there with an opportunity to acquire three players, and all three guys have a number of years of control, that’s a hard call.”
Rasmussen, 26, was 4-1 with one save and a 2.36 ERA in 34 games at Triple-A Buffalo. A second-round pick by Miami in 2010, he is 28-34 with a 3.72 ERA in six minor-league seasons with four organizations.
Wells, 19, was Toronto’s third-round pick in 2014 and was 1-2 with a 4.78 ERA in seven starts for Bluefield in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He was ranked as the Jays’ No. 28 prospect prior to the season.
Brentz, 20, was and 11th-round pick in 2013. He was 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in six starts at Bluefield.
“Our guys,” Zduriencik said, “view both of these guys as young, upside left-handers. We thought that was a good get.”
Sampson, 23, was the Pirates’ fifth-round pick in 2013 and ranked prior to the season as the organization’s No. 15 prospect. He was 8-8 with a 3.98 ERA in 21 starts at Triple-A Indianapolis.
“A big hard sinker,” Zduriencik said, “and really solid makeup kid. Really good intangibles.”
The non-waiver trade deadline was 1 p.m. Pacific time on Friday. Players can only be traded now if they clear waivers.
Lowe, 32, resurrected his career this season after adding zip to his fastball through an offseason conditioning program and developing a new slider to complement his increased velocity.
“My slider — I talked to (former teammate Dominic) Leone about his cutter in spring training,” Lowe said. “It made my slider better and harder.
“The time I was in (Triple-A) Tacoma (at the start of the season) was very good for me because I was able to throw that.”
Lowe is 0-1 with a 1.00 ERA and 12 holds in 34 games since his May 4 promotion from Tacoma. He has 47 strikeouts while allowing 11 walks and 31 hits in 36 innings.
The Mariners traded Lowe, in part, because he is a pending free agent and because his value is at its peak. Happ is also a pending free agent, and his departure appears to clear the way for Roenis Elias to return from Tacoma.
Happ, 32, was 4-6 with a 4.64 ERA in 21 games after allowing 16 earned runs over his final 17 innings. He gave up six earned runs in 3 1⁄3 innings Thursday in a 9-5 loss to Minnesota.
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