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Diamondbacks acquired LHP Brandyn Garcia and RHP Ashton Izzi from the Mariners for 1B Josh Naylor.
The 25-year-old southpaw recently spent a few days with the Mariners where he posted a 4.50 ERA, 3.50 WHIP and 1/3 K/BB ratio over two innings. It’s possible that he could jump right into the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, though they may want to give him some time at Triple-A Reno first before thrusting him into that role.
Diamondbacks acquired RHP Ashton Izzi and LHP Brandyn Garcia from the Mariners for 1B Josh Naylor.
Izzi, 21, was the Mariners’ fourth-round selection from the 2022 draft class. He has spent the entire season to date at High-A Everett where he has posted an underwhelming 5.51 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and a 54/21 K/BB ratio across 47 1/3 innings in his first 12 starts. He has a very intriguing arm but is probably a couple of years away from being an option to help the Diamondbacks at the big league level.
Mariners acquired 1B Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks for LHP Brandyn Garcia and RHP Ashton Izzi.
The Mariners have been desperate to add another strong bat to the middle of their lineup and they did so in a big way with the first major move of the trade season. Naylor has hit .292/.360/.447 with 11 homers, 59 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 49/37 K/BB ratio over 394 plate appearances on the season. His arrival will likely push Luke Raley to the outfield and will probably cost Dominic Canzone his shot at everyday at-bats in the M’s lineup.
Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports that the Mariners still consider Eugenio Suárez their top priority after acquiring Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks on Thursday.
The Mariners weren’t able to get a deal done for Suárez on Thursday, as the competition for his services is believed to be much steeper than it was for Naylor, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still trying. Adding both of the Diamondbacks’ sluggers would go a long way to fortifying the middle of a lineup that already features Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez.
According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, the Mets are among the teams that have checked in on White Sox’ outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
The dynamic 27-year-old outfielder is having a miserable season at the plate — slashing just .206/.293/.343 with 10 homers, 41 RBI, 26 stolen bases and a 95/35 K/BB ratio over 328 plate appearances. The prevailing wisdom though is that he would flourish from a change of scenery, and he looks increasingly likely to be dealt before next week’s deadline.
Ernie Clement swatted a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning on Thursday, powering the Blue Jays to an 11-4 victory over the Tigers in the opener of their four-game series at Comerica Park.
The Blue Jays had been shut out by Reese Olson through the first five innings, but they found their stroke in the sixth. There, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smacked a run-scoring double that tied the game and then with two outs the Tigers walked Addison Barger intentionally to face Clement. He made them pay, clobbering a 1-0 changeup for a 396-foot go-ahead three-run blast. Clement also singled in the ballgame and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, finishing the night 2-for-4. On the season, he’s now slashing .284/.321/.392 with five long balls, 31 RBI and three swipes in 373 plate appearances.