It was announced today that the Toronto Blue Jays have traded All-Star and Silver Slugger, Teoscar Hernandez to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for two pitchers. In return the Jays receive minor-league pitcher Adam Macko and bullpen reliever Erik Swanson.
The Blue Jays fan base has expressed shock over the trade. One of the key players that the Jays have nurtured over the course of many years is Teoscar. Hernandez has also been playing seamlessly for the past few seasons. Hernandez was one of the Jays' best offensive options last season. Hernandez was recently named a Silver Slugger and earned a spot in the All-Star Game.
Hernandez's statline includes a .267 batting average along with 25 home runs and 77 runs-batted-in. The Mariners receive a fairly young player, with team control for the next couple of years. Hernandez made an average salary of just over $10,000,000 last season and is expected to make $14,000,000 through arbitration.
The Jays look to rebound from a disappointing first-round exit to the Mariners. It is extremely likely that the trade was a salary dump for the Jays, making them key contenders to add electric weapons during free agency.
Who did the Blue Jays receive in return? To start, the Jays got starting prospect Adam Macko, who will add to their prospect depth within the minor league system. Macko was a former seventh round pick during the 2019 MLB Draft, making his way up to High-A last season.
Macko is currently ranked as the eighth best prospect within the Blue Jays' system. The 21-year-old, left-handed starter is a native of Slovakia even though he played his high-school ball in Canada. It is also worthy to note that the starter is eligible for the Rule-5 draft at the end of the 2023 season.
Moving on, the Jays also added to their already loaded bullpen with the acquisition of Erik Swanson. The 28-year-old reliever had a career season with Seattle last season, playing a key role for a playoff bound Mariners team.
Swanson pitched in 53 innings, recording a career-best 1.68 earned-run-average along with 70 strikeouts.
What do you think about this trade? The Mariners are looking like a powerhouse in the upcoming 2023 season. While, Toronto looks to rebound from a disappointing playoff collapse.