Mariners acquire LHP Smyly from Tampa Bay
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, January 11, 2017
SEATTLE — Seattle Mariners acquired left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly from the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday in exchange for outfielder Mallex Smith, infielder Carlos Vargas and left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough.
Smith was acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves earlier in the day.
“We have been clear that one of our top priorities this off-season was to continue to bolster our starting rotation,” Dipoto said in a press release. “Today’s moves allowed us to add an experienced pitcher to our starting group. Drew took the ball 30 times last season, threw over 175 innings and is a proven performer in the American League. He’s a good fit for our club.”
Smyly, 27, established career-highs last season with 30 starts, 175 1/3 innings and 167 strikeouts. He finished the season 7-12 with a 4.88 ERA. Over his final 12 starts of the season, he was 5-1 with a 3.73 ERA after opening the year 2-11 with a 5.64 ERA.
In five major-league seasons with Detroit (2012-14) and Tampa Bay (2014-16), the left-hander is 31-27 with a 3.74 ERA. He originally was selected by Detroit in the second round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft and was traded to Tampa Bay as part of the David Price deal.
Vargas, 17, hit .242 with 41 runs scored, 11 doubles, seven home runs, 35 RBI, 32 walks and two stolen bases in 62 games during his rookie campaign with the DSL Mariners last season. He was signed as an international free agent on July 2, 2015.
Yarbrough, 25, was named Southern League Pitcher of the Year after going 12-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 25 starts with AA Jackson in 2016. The left-handed pitcher was the Mariners fourth round selection in the 2014 draft out of Old Dominion.
Earlier in the day, the Mariners acquired Smith and right-handed pitcher Shae Simmons from Atlanta for left-handed pitching prospects Luiz Gohara and Thomas Burrows.
Seattle also designated right-handed pitcher Cody Martin for assignment to make room on its 40-man roster.
Smith, 23, made his major-league debut last year, appearing in 72 games and hitting .238 with 22 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
Simmons, 26, made seven appearances last season after recovering from Tommy John surgery and threw just 6 2/3 big-league innings. Before elbow issues, Simmons was 1-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 26 appearances during the 2014 season.
Gohara, 20, was 7-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 13 starts at two Class A clubs, including Everett. Gohara played for Everett in the 2014, 2015 and 2016.
