Mariners to trade Mark Trumbo to Baltimore for C Steve Clevenger
Dec 1, 2015, 7:57 PM | Updated: 8:19 pm
Steve Clevenger gives the Mariners another option at catcher along with Chris Iannetta and Mike Zunino. (AP)
(AP)
BY
Mariners Insider, Seattle Sports
With less 24 hours before the deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players, the Mariners are close to finalizing a deal that will send Mark Trumbo to the Orioles in exchange for catcher Steve Clevenger.
According to sources, the deal is done pending review of the medicals. I have heard but do not have confirmation that the Mariners will be sending a second player to Baltimore as well. Rock Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that the Orioles are choosing between two players from the Mariners to complete the deal.
The move creates a hole at first base with Jesus Montero the only first baseman remaining on the Mariners’ 40-man roster. It also creates a good amount of space on the payroll as Trumbo, who earned $6.7 million in 2015, was projected to earn $9.1 million in 2016, his final season of arbitration eligibility.
The Mariners have $90.5 million committed to the eight players under contract and are expected to spend close to $7 million on their remaining arbitration-eligible players. It is not hard to see how they could benefit from freeing up Trumbo’s salary. Some of it will go to filling the void at first base, most likely with a less expensive player that better fits the Jerry Dipoto mold – more athletic, more on-base ability and less strikeout-prone than Trumbo. There should be dollars left over to help fill other roster needs as well.
In Clevenger, the Mariners get a left-handed-hitting catcher who has played in parts of five big-league seasons. A career .228/.280/.327/.607 hitter, he has fared well against righties in the minors and hit .280/.309/.430/.739 against them in a small sample of 93 at-bats last year at the major-league level. Clevenger provides depth and insurance for the Mariners at catcher and gives them the opportunity to go with a Chris Iannetta/Clevenger combo to start the 2016 season if they believe it would be to Mike Zunino’s benefit to test his new swing in Triple-A before bringing him back to the big leagues.
Again, the deal is not yet official but all indications are we should have an announcement soon.
