Mariners make roster moves in hours before trade deadline
Jul 30, 2024, 1:40 PM | Updated: 2:05 pm
Jhonathan Diaz of the Seattle Mariners pitches against the Chicago White Sox on June 11. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
(Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
The Seattle Mariners announced several roster moves at 12:53 p.m. Tuesday, just over two hours before the 3 p.m. MLB trade deadline.
Mariners Trade Deadline Tracker: Keep up on every move
Veteran first baseman/designated hitter Justin Turner, who the Mariners acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, will report to the club ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Seattle also recalled left-handed pitcher Jhonathan Díaz from Triple-A Tacoma. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Mariners optioned first baseman Tyler Locklear and lefty reliever Gabe Speier to Triple-A Tacoma. Those moves put the club’s 40-man roster at 39 players.
Shortly after Seattle announced the roster moves, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic posted on social media at 1 p.m. that the Mariners were acquiring reliever JT Chargois from the Miami Marlins.
The 39-year-old Turner gives the Mariners a proven bat and veteran presence. Over the course of his 16-year MLB career, the former two-time All-Star has a .286 batting average and a .823 OPS. His stats have dipped the past two seasons, but he still has a 106 OPS+ this year. And he’s been swinging a hot bat lately, hitting .301 with an .800 OPS since June 1.
Díaz is being called up for the third time this season. His lone appearance for the Mariners this year was a start against the Chicago White Sox on June 11, when he allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. In Tacoma this season, the 27-year-old Díaz has a 3.88 ERA and 1.38 WHIP with 95 strikeouts and 42 walks in 97 1/3 innings.
Locklear, who made his MLB debut on June 9, batted .156 with two homers and a double in 45 at-bats over two stints at the big-league level this season. He is ranked No. 88 prospect in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects.
Speier came off the injured list on July 19 after being sidelined seven weeks with a left rotator cuff strain. He has made three appearances since then, allowing two runs and two hits in 3 1/3 innings. After a breakout year in 2023, he has struggled to a 5.95 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 19 2/3 innings this season.
More on Seattle Mariners and the trade deadline
• Mariners strike deal with Marlins, reunite with veteran reliever
• Passan: What Arozarena, Turner, García bring to Mariners
• Justin Turner adds needed ‘presence’ to Seattle Mariners lineup
• A closer look at Mariners trade acquisition Justin Turner
• Seattle Mariners trade DFA’d first baseman Ty France to Reds
