Small-time trade is Mariners' latest threat to end offseason with a whimper

The Seattle Mariners made a trade on Tuesday, and the good news is that they're better for it. The only downside, really, is that Jhonny Pereda isn't the splash for which fans have been waiting patiently.

Pereda is coming to Seattle by way of a deal with the Minnesota Twins, with cash considerations going the other way to the Twin Cities. In a corresponding move, the Mariners designated right-handed reliever Jackson Kowar for assignment.

Mariners continue pattern of improving on the margins with Jhonny Pereda

Pereda is pretty much a textbook case of a journeyman. He's a 29-year-old catcher with 779 career games in the minors, and 50 in the majors. The Mariners will be his eighth organization.

He does bring solid defensive chops to the table, and the reality is that the Mariners needed another catcher. Cal Raleigh is obviously the man behind the dish, but the only other backstop on the 40-man roster before Thursday was Andrew Knizner, who signed a one-year deal in December.

With Raleigh slated to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, both Knizner and Pereda should see ample playing time this spring. Pereda can see it as a real chance to earn the backup job — and even in jest, it's also worth noting that he can pitch in a pinch.

As much as the Mariners did need Pereda, he fits the same mold as recent moves that brought in Cooper Criswell, Yosver Zulueta and even Rob Refsnyder. It's improvement on the margins, and it's not enough to distract from what's really needed.

There's still a Jorge Polanco-shaped hole at second base and in the middle of the lineup, and something about the club's purported confidence in Cole Young just doesn't sit right. That's either our imagination, or a fair reaction to all the rumors concerning a trade for Brendan Donovan or a free-agent reunion with Eugenio Suárez.

Both players are still available for the Mariners, though the vibes on Donovan have turned sour and Suárez has at least one good reason to leave the Mariners behind. He knows he can win in Seattle, but he should equally know that T-Mobile Park is unkind to his bat.

As is, the 2026 Mariners will be the defending AL West champions and a World Series hopeful. But if they want to be a World Series favorite, they'll need to finish their offseason with a flourish.