Mariners trade for Trent Thornton to add bullpen depth

The Mariners make their first move ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, sending infielder Mason McCoy to the Blue Jays for pitcher Trent Thornton.

With the trade deadline almost here, Mariners fans will be wondering if their team is prepared to make a big move. Do Jerry Dipoto and company believe they can justify a trade similar to the one last year, which brought in Luis Castillo?

It will truly depend on if the Mariners view themselves as a genuine playoff contender. We’ll have to wait and see, but for now, the talk out of T-Mobile Park is this team hasn’t performed well enough to make a significant addition ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline.

First trade by the Mariners

In the meantime the Mariners have made a less significant move, which was announced on Wednesday. As confirmed by Executive Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations Justin Hollander, they have completed a trade for Trent Thornton.

Thornton comes over from the Blue Jays, who in exchange receive Minor League infielder Mason McCoy. To make room on the Mariners’ 40-man roster for Thornton, Marco Gonzales was transferred from the 15-day Injured List to the 60-day Injured List.

This is bad news in respect of Gonzales, who has been out for two months with a left forearm strain. He was eligible to return from the IL this weekend, so this move alludes to him not being close to coming back at this stage.

Bullpen depth

Returning to Thornton, he will provide some depth for a Mariners bullpen which has been effective most of the year. As of July 27 they are fifth in the Majors with a 3.71 ERA, while giving up the seventh-fewest walks.

The initial plan is to send the 29-year-old to Triple-A Tacoma. He has made four appearances this year for the Blue Jays in the Majors, giving up seven hits but just one earned run in 5.1 innings.

Overall, Thornton has made 108 appearances over five years at the Major League level, including 35 starts, albeit the majority coming in his first season in Toronto. He has a career 4.77 ERA, 4.67 FIP and 1.421 WHIP.

Pitching variety

The righty offers a variety of pitches, including a fastball, slider, curveball, changeup and cutter. He has solid command overall, while averaging effectively a strike per inning (8.6 strikeouts per nine innings.)

In terms of his contract, Thornton is on a one-season deal worth a guaranteed $1 million. He has two more years of arbitration eligibility to go and becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

It should be noted though, that the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native will be out of options after this season. In other words, he will offer more limited roster flexibility.

Thornton was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, by the Astros. He was subsequently traded to the Blue Jays following the 2018 Major League season.

What is your take on the addition of Thornton? Was it worth the Mariners trading McCoy to the Blue Jays in exchange for the pitcher? Let us know in the comments section below.