SEATTLE – In the process of turning the long-standing Randy Winn trade rumor into reality on Saturday, the Seattle Mariners overturned their catching by also trading away Miguel Olivo.
The Mariners traded Winn, their starting left fielder the past 2 seasons, to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for catcher Yorvit Torrealba and minor league starting pitcher Jesse Foppert.
About two hours later, the Mariners dealt Olivo to the San Diego Padres for catcher Miguel Ojeda and right-handed minor league pitcher Nate Mateo.
The Mariners had gotten Olivo from the Chicago White Sox last year in the Freddy Garcia trade, expecting him to become their catcher of the future. Instead, he struggled with all aspects of his defense.
By trading him Saturday, the Mariners abandoned hope that Olivo would succeed with Seattle.
“It’s a real tough move to make, any time you’re moving a young guy you had high hopes for,” Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said. “It’s especially tough because he’s such a nice guy. A lot of us got to like him quite a bit and wanted to see it work for him here.”
The moves leave the Mariners with three catchers on the major league roster – Wiki Gonzalez, who was called up Friday from the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers; Torrealba, who has caught 220 games the past five seasons with the Giants; and Ojeda, who has been the Padres’ backup the past three years but currently is with their Triple-A Portland team.
There could be more deals before today’s 1 p.m. (PDT) trade deadline.
At least three other Mariners – starting pitcher Jamie Moyer and relievers Eddie Guardado and Ron Villone – also have been mentioned in trade speculation.
Moyer, a “10-and-5” player with veto rights because he has played at least 10 years in the majors and the past five with one team, is believed to have turned down a proposed trade to the Houston Astros.
Astros general manager Tim Purpura said he had a trade in place for a veteran pitcher, who he wouldn’t name, but the player rejected the trade using his 10-and-5 rights.
Guardado’s contract restricts the Mariners from trading him to 10 teams, most of them on the East Coast, he said. Of West Coast contenders looking for pitching, every National League West team but the Padres lacks an experienced closer, leaving Arizona, Los Angeles and San Francisco as possibilities.
“If it (a trade) happens, I’ll have to make a quick decision,” said Guardado, in the midst of a difficult weekend. His 41-year-old brother, Victor, died last week of complications from pneumonia and Guardado left the team Friday to attend his funeral in California.
“We’ll see what happens,” said Guardado, who said he hopes to remain with the Mariners. “I’ve found a home here, but if I do go, maybe I’ll come back (next year).”
The Winn trade wasn’t a surprise.
He had been the subject of trade rumors since he came to the Mariners from Tampa Bay before the 2003 season, essentially swapped for Lou Piniella on the condition Piniella became the Devil Rays’ manager. The speculation surrounding Winn was never stronger than this year, when it became clear the team preferred a left-handed-hitting left fielder with potential for power.
“For us, it was not only a question of seeing what we could get back in trade but turn the club over a little bit,” Bavasi said.
Trading Winn creates an opportunity for the Mariners to call up Chris Snelling, who had been one of the top hitters in the Pacific Coast League this season. Snelling, a left-hand hitter, entered Saturday’s game for the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers batting .371 with eight home runs.
Snelling, who spent much of July with the Mariners before being optioned to Tacoma last week, must remain with the Rainiers for 10 days and is expected to be called up for next Saturday’s game at Chicago.
Trading Olivo to the Padres ended a difficult period with the Mariners. Beset with passed balls and a lack of communication with pitchers, Olivo’s problems affected his offense. He was batting .151 after Saturday’s game.
“We felt it was in everybody’s best interest to give him a new lease on life and maybe rechannel our energies,” Bavasi said.
Saturday’s trades leave the Mariners with three catchers on the big-league roster, none with considerable major league experience, and a pitcher whose “Tommy John” elbow surgery stalled the Giants’ high hopes for him.
Foppert, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, has pitched in parts of three major league seasons with the Giants and the Mariners believe he can become a middle-of-the-rotation starter.
First, however, he must complete his comeback from “Tommy John” elbow surgery at the end of the 2003 season. He is 8-9 with a 5.00 earned run average in 27 career games.
“Jesse is a guy who has a better upside than any pitcher we talked to other clubs about,” Bavasi said. “And we were able to talk about some decent young arms. None had Jesse’s upside. We could end up with a real fine pitcher on his way to having a real nice career prior to Tommy John surgery. But it’s a gamble.”
Foppert started the season in the Giants’ minor league system but was recalled to the big-league team and started June 14 against the Twins. He went on the disabled list July 1 because of a strained neck, and last week was activated and assigned to Class AAA Fresno.
Torrealba had caught 34 games with the Giants this season and was batting .226 with one home run and seven RBI. He has a .251 career average in 220 major league games. He has just three passed balls in his major league career.
“Yorveat gives us experience behind the plate now,” Bavasi said.
Ojeda was batting .137 with no homers and six RBI in 43 games with the Padres, who sent him to their Class AAA Portland club early this month.
Bavasi said Mateo is a hard-throwing right-hander with a good curveball, but so far lacks the consistent control to pitch at the major league level. He will be assigned to the Mariners’ Class AA team in San Antonio.
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