Seattle Mariners Trade With Chicago Cubs Deals Relief Pitcher For Catcher
Seattle Mariners trade talk lead to a deal with the Chicago Cubs. The Mariners dealt pitcher Yoervis Medina to the Cubs in exchange for catcher Welington Castillo on Tuesday (May 19). As reported by MLB, Medina will be sent to Triple-A Iowa by the Cubs, potentially supplying relief pitching depth later in the season. He had been working on his control for the Mariners at Triple-A Tacoma and seemed like the odd man out in the relief corps.
Yoervis Medina pitched in 12 games for the Mariners in 2015, posting a 1-0 record with one save. He pitched 12 innings total, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. The reason he was sent down to Tacoma was to work on his control, as he had walked seven batters in those 12 innings. Medina did allow only 11 hits during that time, striking out nine in the process. In 2014, he was also an integral part of the bullpen, posting a 5-3 record, a 2.68 ERA, and a 1.33 WHIP for the Mariners.
Welington Castillo has appeared in 24 games for the Cubs this year, posting a.163 batting average to go along with two doubles, two home runs, and five RBIs. He was actually the starting catcher for the Cubs over two seasons, but will report to Seattle as the backup to starter Mike Zunino. The hope seems to be that Castillo will provide an upgrade to Jesus Sucre on the roster. Sucre has caught just six games for the Mariners in 2015, going 1-for-15 at the plate for a.067 batting average.
In the scheme of things, this trade between the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs will be considered a minor one for most baseball fans. The possibility here, though, is that Yoervis Medina could get recalled by the Cubs very soon, and Castillo could see a lot of at-bats for the Mariners if he can just provide some consistency behind the plate. If he gets hot in the batters’ box, the Mariners could offer him additional at-bats as the designated hitter as well. As the team tries to get back into winning consecutive games, this move might have an immediate impact.
As previously reported on the Inquisitr, the Chicago Cubs have been receiving a lot of national attention due to rookie Kris Bryant. Now, the team is looking at smaller deals, like the acquisition of Yoervis Medina, to help make the team stronger overall. For the Seattle Mariners, this was a move to fill an immediate need, and Welington Castillo will likely see action on the road trip that begins May 19 in Baltimore.
[Image Source: Leon Halip/Getty Images]
