Thank you for a Memorable Year, Abraham Toro and Jesse Winker!

Mariners fans have learned that the team received a second baseman, Kolten Wong from the Brewers in exchange for two Mariners players, Abraham Toro and Jesse Winker. This will be the third MLB team for both men.

At 25, Abraham Toro has already participated in two historic MLB plays

Abraham Toro’s parents are Venezuelan, and they raised him outside of Montreal. This upbringing in Quebec, Canada is the reason for his fluency in French, Spanish, and English.

Abraham Toro first played for the Astros. When he returned with the Astros to play in Toronto, he helped make history as a last-minute replacement for Yuli Gurriel. In a game with the Blue Jays, with two outs in the ninth inning, Toro hit a two-run home run to win the previously scoreless game. This became the third time Justin Verlander had pitched a no-hitter.

When Abraham Toro came to Seattle from Houston, he learned about his trade as he was in batting practice for Houston at T-Mobile Park. Toro simply walked over to the Mariners clubhouse and replaced the Houston uniform with the Mariners one. He then became the only MLB player to hit a home run against a team, the Mariners, and the next day hit a home run for the Mariners.

We will miss Toro’s calm demeanor, his assistance with the Canadian press, and his home runs! All the best for a long and successful career.

Jesse Winker returns to the Midwest and the National League

Winker is both a New Yorker and a Floridian. He has two brothers. His father imparted his love for baseball to the three of them and Jesse, especially, caught on. Winker made his first appearance in MLB with the Reds in 2017 and then spent five seasons with Cincinnati. In 2021, he was an All-Star. Though he had 33 fewer plate appearances than with the Mariners this year, he had 77 runs, 24 home runs, and a WAR of 2.9 in his last season with the Reds.

Winker and his teammate, Eugenio Suarez, did not have as quick of a transition as Abraham Toro but also moved abruptly during 2022 Spring Training, to the Mariners.

Winker’s statistics were not as strong with the Mariners as they had been with the Reds. We learned near the end of the season that amidst some potential clubhouse problems, he also needed two surgeries to return to health, and we can assume that these problems prevented him from playing his best baseball.

With the Reds, Winker had experience playing at the Brewers’ American Family Field and says that he likes playing there, in part, because he can see the ball. He also appreciates the enthusiastic fans in Milwaukee and is looking forward to playing with the fans behind him rather than as adversaries.

Jesse Winker always doted on his friend’s children. He is a relatively new father himself. Daughter, Wren, has made a significant impact on Jesse, and I hope that wherever Wren lives, it is closer to Milwaukee than Seattle.

Thank you, Jesse, for your work in left field and your ability to earn balls and walks! All the best with the Brewers!