Seattle Mariners trade with Toronto for RHP Trent Thornton

The first Seattle Mariners trade of the 2023 MLB trade deadline season is on the books.

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The M’s have acquired veteran relief pitcher Trent Thornton in a deal with Toronto, with Triple-A infielder Mason McCoy heading to the Blue Jays in return.

Thornton will report to Triple-A Tacoma. To make room for him on Seattle’s 40-man roster, the team transferred left-hander pitcher Marco Gonzales (left forearm strain) to the 60-day injured list.

Thornton, a 29-year-old right-hander, was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays last week following their acquisition of reliever Genesis Cabrera from the St. Louis Cardinals. He has appeared in just four MLB games this season, owning a 1.69 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with five strikeouts to one walk over 5 1/3 innings. He has also appeared in 22 games with Triple-A Buffalo this year.

In 2022, Thornton posted a 4.11 ERA and 1.239 WHIP in 32 appearances (46 innings), striking out 37 and walking 17. He broke into the big leagues with Toronto in 2019 as a starter but transitioned to the bullpen in 2020.

McCoy, 28, was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB Draft and has spent the past two seasons with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers. He has yet to make his MLB debut.

In 2023, McCoy owns a slash line of .234/.330/.407 for a .737 OPS with 11 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 87 games with Tacoma.

The MLB trade deadline is at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1. A similar minor Seattle Mariners trade involving bullpen options came early this month when they sent pitchers Chris Flexen and Trevor Gott to the New York Mets for left-hander Zach Muckenhirn, who has been with the Rainiers since the move.

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