Seattle Mariners Trade Rumors: Top Prospect Mallex Smith Acquired From Atlanta Braves, Dealt To Tampa Bay Rays For Drew Smyly

Seattle Mariners trade rumors have the team agreeing to another deal with the Atlanta Braves. This latest trade by the Mariners acquires outfielder Mallex Smith and pitcher Shae Simmons. A report by MLB analyst Greg Johns states that the Mariners are giving up pitchers Luiz Gohara and Thomas Burrows to complete the deal.

Mallex Smith was a prospect that the Atlanta Braves acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres for All-Star outfielder Justin Upton. Smith was highly-touted by many scouts, finding himself on many of the top prospect lists coming into the 2016 MLB season. Smith got promoted a short time into the year by the Braves, getting his feet wet as the team moved in a new direction.

In 72 games with the Braves, Smith had 215 plate appearances, notching 14 extra-base hits, 22 RBIs, 28 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. He struggled a bit after his MLB debut, though, finishing with a 0.238 batting average. An injury also cut into his playing time during that rookie season, but he appears to be back to 100 percent health ahead of the 2017 MLB season. Being back at full speed could mean that he is competing for a job on the 25-man roster when Spring Training opens up.

These Seattle Mariners trade rumors might be tough for some fans because it indicates that the front office is dealing away young pitching (again). Luiz Gohara was the No. 3 ranked prospect in the system, even though some MLB analysts stated he wouldn’t be in the top 20 for some organizations. General manager Jerry Dipoto felt that dealing Gohara and Thomas Burrows for additional outfield help was a good move to make.

The added value Mallex Smith brings to the team is that he can play all three outfield positions. He showed a lot of promise in center field during his time in Minor League baseball and also showed off on the base paths. During the 2014 season, he had 88 stolen bases and followed that up with 56 stolen bases the following year after getting promoted within the organization. That speed should work really well in the new-look lineup that Dipoto is putting together for the next few years.

Pitcher Shae Simmons is also coming to the Seattle Mariners in this deal. Simmons has appeared in 33 games for the Atlanta Braves, posting a 2.54 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 28 1/3 innings of work. Although it is a small sample size for the right-handed pitcher, he has shown a lot of promise in that small amount of time. The good news is that he is ready to pitch for the Mariners right away, with experience at the Major League level for the Braves that bodes well for his time in Seattle.

Simmons is trying to bounce back from having Tommy John elbow surgery, causing him to miss the entire 2015 season. When he returned at the end of the 2016 MLB season, Simmons had a 1.35 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in seven appearances. It seems he is back on track and will be competing for a spot in the Mariners’ bullpen when Spring Training opens. Simmons could be a good addition to the deal, but the focal point will be Smith and how he does on the field.

There is going to be a lot of speed at Spring Training in Arizona for the Mariners. The additions of Jarrod Dyson, Jean Segura, and Mallex Smith give the team one of the fastest groups of players in baseball. This presents a nice selection of table-setters for manager Scott Servais to work with and for the core of the batting order (Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager) to benefit from in terms of RBIs. Though these Seattle Mariners trade rumors may make it obvious, fans are certainly going to want to check out Mallex Smith in Peoria.

An updated report by MLB analyst Jerry Crasnick states that the Mariners have now traded Mallex Smith, Carlos Vargas, and Ryan Yarbrough to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for starting pitcher Drew Smyly. Smyly will give the Seattle Mariners another left-handed starting pitcher in the rotation, with the expectation that he will be one of the five starting pitchers tabbed by Jerry Dipoto on Opening Day.

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