The Mariners have acquired Jhonny Pereda from the Twins to provide catching depth, resulting in designating Jackson Kowar for assignment.
On Tuesday the Mariners completed a trade which essentially signals the end of the Jackson Kowar era in Seattle. Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Justin Hollander announced the acquisition of Jhonny Pereda from the Minnesota Twins, with Kowar being designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
The Twins received cash considerations in exchange for Pereda, who will offer some much needed catcher depth, particularly with Cal Raleigh taking part in the World Baseball Classic with Team USA. The Mariners 40-man roster remains full at 40 players.
Kowar is best known for being part of the Nov. 2023 trade with the Atlanta Braves, which saw him come to Seattle in exchange for Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales, and Evan White. It was an ominous sign when the righty subsequently missed all of 2024, due to a tear in his right ulnar collateral ligament during spring training which required Tommy John surgery.
Jackson Kowar could never catch a break in Seattle
The 29-year-old finally returned to action late last May following rehab assignments with the ACL Mariners and Tacoma Rainiers. However, his opportunities with the Mariners proved to be limited, which is telling given that the team was continually looking for quality bullpen depth production throughout the season.
In all, Kowar went 17.0 combined innings over 15 appearances and produced a 2-0 record, 4.24 ERA and 1.235 WHIP. He previously struggled during his Major League tenure with the Kansas City Royals between 2021-23 as best highlighted by a horrific 9.12 ERA and 2.095 WHIP in 74.0 combined innings , and he is now at a crossroads in his career.
The Weddington, North Carolina native is out of options, so will need to break camp or again be designated for assignment if another team is willing to give him an offseason 40-man roster spot. He does have some intriguing assets which can be utilized, primarily a 97.3 mph fastball which ranked in the 90th percentile last season.
Jhonny Pereda provides solid catcher depth for Mariners
As for Pereda, he will challenge Andrew Knizner to be the main backup catcher to Raleigh. In fact, the competition for this position has taken on added importance since Mitch Garver left and Harry Ford was traded to the Washington Nationals.
Pereda has limited Major League experience of 48 games over the past two seasons, but he does bring some intrigue after batting .345 with a .870 OPS and 139 OPS+ in 11 appearances for the Twins. He also offers solid defense behind the plate, highlighted by a fine pop time.
In our opinion, Pereda has a tremendous chance of beating out Knizner for the main backup catcher position, although we appreciate there are fans who wish Ford was still in Seattle. In any event the Mariners continue to solidify their depth, but really could still use another big signing/trade ahead of the 2025 season to strengthen the lineup.
Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography
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