Mariners acquire Teoscar Hernandez in deal with Blue Jays

Just a day after rumors started flying around, the Mariners made the trade with the Blue Jays official and acquired OF Teoscar Hernandez. It didn’t take long for the deal to happen, as it started showing up in reports midday on Tuesday the 15th. News broke the morning of the 16th, and Mariners fans are incredibly excited to get a strong bat to add to the lineup.

Now, I’m writing this as news is breaking, and it sounds like Chris Flexen isn’t involved in the deal. I think that part of it has surprised more people than the trade itself, as everyone expected Flexen to head to Toronto as a part of the deal.

The Mariners have officially acquired Teoscar Hernandez

Reports were flying around like crazy as we speculated on what the Mariners were sending to Toronto in return for Hernandez. A free agent after the 2023 season, the Mariners will only be getting one year of control with him, and likely taking on a salary somewhere around $14 million.

As we wait on the details, let’s take a look at Hernandez. He’s one of the more underrated hitters in the game, averaging 34 HR per 162 games. He had a wonderful 2020 season and has been a consistent power hitter dropping 121 HR over his last 583 games. He also hits the ball hard and does it consistently.

Those are some great numbers. This isn’t cheap power or lucky contact. Hernandez is someone who makes good quality contact, and does it consistently. He is going to be a boon to the Mariners lineup, and someone who instantly makes them much better on offense. It looks like we finally have details on the trade.

It’s incredible for the Mariners, and they didn’t have to give up a ton. Swanson is a great reliever, but he comes from the strongest section of the Mariners, which is their bullpen. Macko is a high-ceiling and very high-risk pitcher, but the Mariners are giving up very little MLB help in order to strengthen their lineup.

Macko has some nasty stuff, posting a 14.1 K/9 in high A. He’s 21, and it could be said he is still learning how to pitch a bit, being fairly new to the game. He has a bit of a control problem, walking 5.3 per 9 in 71.2 IP between A and High-A. Swanson is coming off of a career year, and still has three years of control. It may seem like a light return for Toronto, but with just a year of control with Hernandez, it makes a bit more sense.

Still, I love this deal for the Mariners. I’m excited to see what they do next, still having Marco and Flexen on the team. GO MARINERS!