By Bob Dutton
The News Tribune
SEATTLE — Trade deadline? What trade deadline?
The Mariners acquired two relievers Saturday for players to be named later: right-hander Arquimedes Caminero from Pittsburgh; and switch-pitcher Pat Venditte from Toronto.
The moves come five days after the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.
Caminero, 29, is a four-year veteran who was 1-2 this season with one save and a 3.51 ERA in 39 games. He is 6-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 131 career games over the last four seasons with Miami and Pittsburgh.
“He’s rebounded nicely after a rough start to the season,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said, “and he’s been quite solid since June 1st with a 2.28 ERA over his last 24 innings.
“He also provides another controllable and experienced arm for our pen. Additionally, he’s among the hardest throwers in the game.”
Venditte, 31, had been pitching at Triple-A Buffalo and will report to Triple-A Tacoma. He has a 4.58 ERA in 34 big-league appearances over the last two years with Oakland and Toronto and a 4.37 ERA this year in 25 games at Buffalo.
“He has a very good history versus left-handed hitters,” Dipoto said. “He provides us with a situational lefty match-up option. He’s unique, optionable…and who wouldn’t have interest in a switch pitcher?”
Venditte is believed to be only full-time ambidextrous pitcher in MLB history.
The Mariners acquired both pitchers by claiming them after they were placed on trade waivers. Players who clear trade waivers can be traded anywhere. Those claimed can only be traded to the claiming team within a 48 1/2-hour window.
(Clubs also have the option of revoking the waivers and keeping the player, or simply allowing the player to go to the claiming team without receiving compensation.)
The Mariners cleared space on the 40-man rosters by designating right-handers Blake Parker and Donn Roach for assignment. They have 10 days to trade, release or, if they clear waivers, send them to the minors on an outright assignment.
The Pirates will get one or two players in return in negotiations that are ongoing. Generally, that means they will either receive one higher-level prospect or two lower-level prospects.
The Blue Jays will get one player to be named later.
Caminero is making $532,500 this season and will not be eligible for arbitration until 2018 and not eligible for free agency until 2021. Venditte has less than one year of major-league service.
Parker, 31, pitched one scoreless inning Thursday against Boston in his only appearance since his promotion earlier that day from Triple-A Tacoma, where he was 1-2 with 19 saves and a 2.72 ERA in 38 games.
The Mariners signed Parker as a minor-league free agent on Dec. 18, 2015. He spent the previous eight years in the Chicago Cubs’ system but missed must of last season after undergoing elbow surgery.
Roach, 26, was 2-0 with an 8.44 ERA in four big-league relief outings but spent most of the season as a starter at Tacoma, where he was 6-6 with a 4.08 ERA. He signed with the Mariners on Dec. 5, 2015 as a minor-league free agent.
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