Former Mariners prospect is having a terrible time after Josh Naylor trade

When the Seattle Mariners pulled the trigger on a deal to acquire Josh Naylor a few days before the trade deadline, he was the obvious centerpiece as a proven left-handed bat to bolster an inconsistent lineup.

But the trade didn’t come without its costs. One of the key pieces heading to Arizona in the deal, along with right-hander Ashton Izzi, was left-handed reliever Brandyn Garcia, a promising arm the Mariners had been developing carefully and recently called up to debut.

Though Garcia wasn’t necessarily a household name at the time of the trade, Seattle’s front office knew they were giving up a high-upside bullpen weapon. Garcia is a physically imposing lefty who sits in the upper 90's with a solid slider, but who has dealt with some control issues in his young career.

Brandyn Garcia is off a rough start in the Diamondbacks organization

So far, however, Garcia’s transition to the Diamondbacks organization has been rocky. After immediately being placed in their bullpen, Garcia struggled in just his second outing with Arizona. He was tagged for four hits and three earned runs, a tough look for a team that hoped he could slot in as an immediate contributor. The D-backs didn’t waste time making a move, as Garcia was promptly optioned to Triple-A Reno.

Unfortunately for Garcia, the results in the minors haven’t exactly calmed the waters. In 2.1 innings since being sent down, he’s surrendered two earned runs, including a home run to none other than Mariners top prospect Harry Ford.

That particular moment had to sting a little bit for the Diamondbacks brass after they seemingly placed an astronomical asking price on Naylor's teammate, Eugenio Suárez, who many fans expected Ford to be in a deal for. However, it's a reminder of just how good of a deadline it was for Dipoto and Hollander and what Seattle retained while sending Garcia the other way.

The talent is still there for Garcia, who now ranks as the Diamondbacks's No. 20 prospect. His fastball-slider mix looked impressive in his short-lived debut with the Mariners. But his command has wavered, and his margin for error at the MLB level is slim. If Arizona can help him clean up the walks and keep the ball in the park, he may yet live up to the potential the Mariners saw when they drafted him.