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RHP Mark Lowe Traded to Blue Jays for Trio of Young Arms

By Brian Helberg

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The Seattle Mariners have reportedly shipped Mark Lowe to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mariners picked up Rob Rasmussen, Nick Wells and Jake Brentz in return for the veteran reliever. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish broke the news on twitter, and his report was later confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Lowe is having a career year in 2015 with the Mariners. The 32-year-old is 0-1 with a 1.00 ERA across 34 appearances. Lowe has fanned 47 and walked 11 through 36.0 innings pitched. He has held the opposition to just 1.167 walks/hits per inning. Lowe has brought stability to the back end of the M’s bullpen all season.

The Mariners selected Lowe in the 5th round of the 2004 draft. He has spent a decade in the big leagues with stops in Seattle, Texas, Anaheim and Cleveland. Lowe has been the M’s best reliever this year, but I’m happy to see the M’s sell high on a player who was not expected to factor into their future plans.

Jun 21, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Rob Rasmussen throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth inning at Great American Ball Park. The Reds won 11-1. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Rob Rasmussen is the most experienced of the young arms coming to Seattle. The 26-year-old lefty has appeared in 11 games for the Blue Jays over the past 2 seasons. He has fared pretty well, posting a 2.92 ERA with 14 strikeouts and 7 walks through 12.1 innings pitched. Rasmussen has done a great job this season in Triple-A Buffalo, going 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA over 34 appearances. He has tallied 40 strikeouts and walked 20 across 42 innings in 2015. The walks are high, but he has a chance to be a very effective left-handed reliever in Seattle.

Nick Wells is ranked as the Blue Jays’ 23rd best prospect according to MLB.com, and the 19-year-old southpaw is considered to have the highest upside of any pitcher involved in this deal. Toronto picked Wells in the 3rd round of the 2014 draft, but he has yet to produce much on the mound. Wells is 1-2 with a 4.78 ERA through 7 starts this season in rookie ball. He has struck out 31, walked 11 and served up 4 home runs in 32.0 innings. He has great size with a live fastball, and projects to stay in the starting rotation.

Jake Brentz was picked by the Blue Jays in the 11th round of the 2013 draft. The 20-year-old is currently pitching in rookie ball. Brentz is 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA through 6 starts this season. He has struck out 16 and walked 11 across 22 innings. His 1.636 WHIP is not overly impressive. Brentz is not ranked in the Blue Jays’ top 30 prospects, but he is another young southpaw who has the potential to one day start in the Major Leagues.

Next: Mariners Promoting Top Prospect

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