In an intriguing move, the Giants and Mariners agreed to a trade Friday that sent starting pitcher Robbie Ray to San Francisco in exchange for outfielder Mitch Haniger, starting pitcher Anthony Desclafani and cash considerations.
Ray, who won the 2021 American League Cy Young Award while with the Blue Jays, will miss the start of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in early May. The 32-year-old made just one start for Seattle last season before being sidelined by an injury. Although he is opting out after the 2024 season, he has three years and $73 million remaining on his contract.
Haniger returns to Seattle after playing for the Mariners from 2017-22. He posted an .817 OPS and hit 107 home runs in those six seasons, including 39 homers in 2021. However, Haniger's playing time over the past two years has been limited by injuries as he has missed more than 100 games. Two seasons. He batted .209 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 61 games with the Giants in 2023. Haniger has two years and $36.5 million remaining on the three-year deal he signed with San Francisco before the 2023 season. He has a waiver after the 2024 campaign.
DeSclafani, 32, went 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA in 19 games for San Francisco last season. Like Ray, his best season was 2021, when he went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 31 games for the Giants. Set to make $12 million in the final year of his contract, DeSclafani missed the final two months of last season with a flexor strain in his right elbow.
In a subsequent deal, the Mariners agreed to acquire outfielder Luke Raleigh from the Rays for infielder Jose Caballero, according to a report by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. (The teams have not confirmed.) Raleigh hit .249 with 19 homers and 14 steals in 118 games for Tampa Bay. Caballero hit .221 with 26 steals in 104 games with Seattle in his first major league action.
