Mariners' Teoscar Hernández trade immortalized as all-time bust by latest injury news

When the Seattle Mariners traded for Teoscar Hernández in November of 2022, there was plenty of justified reason for optimism in Seattle. He was tremendous during his time in Toronto with the Blue Jays, with highlights including a .823 OPS, two Silver Slugger Awards and an All-Star selection.

Hernández went on to have an up-and-down season in Seattle, with the ups including 26 home runs and 93 RBI. The downs were highlighted by a .741 OPS and 211 strikeouts, which were second-most in the American League after fellow Mariner Eugenio Suárez, who fanned 214 times. In the end, the 2023 Mariners fell a game short of qualifying for a playoff spot.

Not helping Hernández was the offensive philosophy of the Mariners combined with the pitcher-friendly confines of T-Mobile Park, which he was not a fan of. He promptly signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent, immediately benefiting in 2024 with a career-high 4.3 WAR anda victory in the World Series.

Neither Mariners nor Blue Jays are winners in Teoscar Hernández trade

If there is any consolation for Mariners fans, it is that the Blue Jays have not fared any better with the players they received in exchange for Hernández. More specifically, we're referencing pitchers Erik Swanson and Adam Macko, who are both dealing with challenging times.

Beginning with Swanson, he was the key loss for the Mariners when they traded for Hernández, having come off a career year in 2022 which included a 1.7 WAR, 1.68 ERA, 1.84 FIP and 0.913 WHIP. His first season in Toronto, while not as good, was still a productive one.

However, things went drastically wrong for Swanson in 2024, resulting in a -0.3 WAR, a 5.03 ERA, a 6.06 FIP and a 1.217 WHIP over 45 appearances. And now, the 31-year-old is injured.

Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Swanson met with elbow surgeon Dr. Keith Meister on Thursday, due to discomfort in his right elbow during a recent bullpen session. This wasn't the first time the righty had run into issues this spring, as he previously dealt with right forearm discomfort earlier.

The result could have been worse, as Matheson reported Friday that Swanson has a "median nerve entrapment" in his right arm:

Regardless, Swanson is sure to start the regular season on the injured list. The Blue Jays had already made contingency plans for the bullpen, including re-signing reliever Dillon Tate.

Former Mariners prospect Adam Macko undergoes surgery

As for Macko, the Blue Jays already know that they will be without the southpaw for at least the first month of the 2025 season. Late last Month, he underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee. He was optioned by the Blue Jays to Triple-A Buffalo earlier in March.

Macko has yet to pitch in the Majors and has seen his MLB pipeline ranking among Blue Jays prospects fall from No. 8 last year to No. 16 in 2025. Nonetheless, the hope in Toronto is that he will provide rotation depth at some point in 2025.

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