Mariners trade Robbie Ray to Giants and reunite with Mitch Haniger

Mariners have traded for Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani and cash considerations from the Giants, as the Robbie Ray era ends in Seattle.

The Mariners caused a stir on Friday, as they announced a trade which brings back old favorite Mitch Haniger, while sending 2021 Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to the Giants. The deal also saw them acquire pitcher Anthony DeSclafani and cash considerations.

There’s a lot to unpack in this trade, which no one saw coming. Let’s begin with Ray, whose time in Seattle was not exactly a success.

Mariners never saw the best of Ray

To be clear, the Mariners cannot be critiqued for acquiring a player in the first place, who was coming off a season when he won the AL Cy Young in Toronto. However, his first season in Seattle was somewhat underwhelming, with him proving to be durable but never providing the team with the staff ace the team hoped they were signing.

In fairness though the Mariners probably would have taken that last season, given how it played out for the 32-year-old. To begin with, he allowed four hits, five walks and five runs (three earned) in a disastrous first outing of 2023, which only lasted 3.1 innings.

However, it transpired that Ray’s poor performance was due to an injury which occurred during the game versus the Cleveland Guardians. He would subsequently undergo Tommy John Surgery, which prematurely ended his season.

In this respect, Ray leaving doesn’t impact the starting rotation — at least not for the first half of the upcoming season — as he wasn’t projected to be available until after the All-Star break anyway. In addition, for a team which has to be cautious financially, they remove a base salary of $23 million in 2024. (There was also a base salary of $25 million in both 2025 and 2026, pending if Ray used his player opt out after this year.)

President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto released a statement to say thank you to Ray. He said:

“I do want to thank Robbie for his time in Seattle. On the field and in the clubhouse, he was a key part of taking us to the postseason in 2022 and in allowing us to remain in the race down to the final days in 2023. He provided leadership to our young pitchers that will be felt here for years to come. We wish he and his family nothing but the best in San Francisco.”

A surprising return for Haniger

Turning to Haniger, his return is not a straightforward case of just a reunion with a former fan favorite. Yes he was very effective during his time in Seattle between 2017-2022, but there is the issue of his durability.

This is a player who only twice played in excess of 100 games in a season for the Mariners. He dealt with an ankle injury, being hit in the face by a pitch, and even a ruptured testicle which caused him to miss more than half of 2019 and all of the 2020 campaign.

Injury complications continued for the 33-year-old during his one season in San Francisco. He was limited to just 61 games last year, due to a fractured right forearm after being hit by a pitch.

On the flip side, when Haniger is healthy he’s a potent weapon in the lineup. During his two full seasons, he was named an All-Star in 2018 and had career-highs of 39 home runs and 100 RBI in 2021.

The current projection is that Haniger will start in the right outfield for the Mariners. Financially speaking, he has a $17 million base salary this year and, pending his player opt out clause after the season, a $15.5 million base salary in 2025. (He also has a $2 million signing bonus for both this year and next.)

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DeSclafani solid when healthy

The other player the Mariners receive in this deal, is Anthony DeSclafani. Similar to Haniger, DeSclafani is also in his 30s and coming off a year impacted by injury, with a right elbow flexor strain ending his season early.

In general, the 33-year-old has struggled to remain healthy during his Major League career. For example, he missed all of 2017 due to tendinitis, while being limited to five starts in 2022 after right ankle surgery.

Even at full fitness DeSclafani is essentially a solid, bottom of the rotation starter. In 169 starts (180 games overall) dating back to 2014, he has gone 54-56 and produced a 4.20 ERA, 4.16 FIP and 1.268 WHIP.

From a financial perspective, the 2008 Red Sox draft pick will have a base salary of $12 million in 2024. Once the season is completed, he will become an unrestricted free agent.

Dipoto explained his rationale behind making the trade, which included receiving the aforementioned cash considerations. He said:

“As we continue to build out our team for 2024 and beyond, we feel this trade accomplishes a couple of our objectives. In Mitch, we get a player we know well, and hold in very high regard, as another piece for our outfield, while Anthony — who can start or pitch out of the ‘pen — gives us depth in our pitching staff. And the deal allows us to put the best team possible on the field from Opening Day on.”

Overall, it’s tough to get too excited about bringing in two ageing players who are prone to injuries. They do both add something to the team if they can remain healthy, but in the case of Haniger in particular, fans should not expect a repeat performance of his career year in 2021.

What is your overriding take on this trade with the Giants? Did the Mariners win the deal, lose it, or do you consider it even both ways? Let us know in the comments section below.