Drayer: Mariners trade Omar Narváez to Brewers for prospect and draft pick

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has dealt from his one area of strength in the upper levels of the Mariners organization as the team has confirmed its trade sending catcher Omar Narváez to the Milwaukee Brewers for 22-year-old pitcher Adam Hill and a competitive balance pick. The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal, with Greg Johns of MLB.com first on the return.

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“We were fortunate in 2019 to develop really good depth at the catcher spot, with Omar, Tom Murphy and Austin Nola at the big league level, and Cal Raleigh rising quickly in our minor league system,” Dipoto said in a press release. “That depth allowed us to make a move today that we think will pay long-term dividends to us, while not impacting us in the short term.”

Hill, originally a fourth-round pick out of the University of South Carolina by the Mets in 2018, was acquired by the Brewers in a January 2019 trade that sent Keon Broxton to New York. Hill spent the 2019 season at High-A Wisconsin, where he made 23 starts and three relief appearances, going 7-9 with a 3.92 ERA while striking out 109 and walking 55.

The 6-foot-6 right-hander, who was ranked as the Brewers’ 26th-best prospect, throws a 95 mph fastball with a slider and a changeup that caught the attention of Rob Friedman, aka @PitchingNinja.

Adam Hill, Filthy Changeup (14th K/7 innings). pic.twitter.com/K5XPGbmqzE

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 3, 2018

The competitive balance pick also coming the Mariners’ way is currently the 70th pick in the the 2020 draft. Hill, who was drafted in 2018, is not yet Rule 5 eligible and does not require a spot on Seattle’s 40-man roster, which is now at 38.

The Brewers were in the market for a catcher after losing Yasmani Grandal to the Chicago White Sox in free agency earlier this offseason.

Narváez, 27, was acquired prior to the 2019 season by the Mariners from the White Sox in a trade that sent relief pitcher Álex Colomé to Chicago. Though not known for his defense behind the plate, Narváez has a strong reputation as a hitter that only improved in his one season in Seattle. The lefty-swinging catcher set career-high marks with a .278 average, .460 slugging percentage, .813 OPS, 22 home runs, 55 RBIs and 2.1 WAR in 132 games played.

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