Mariners bolster rotation, acquire Drew Smyly from Rays

There is no offseason for Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto. The most active GM in the game was at it again Wednesday, making a series of deals that ultimately netted the club Tampa Bay Rays starter Drew Smyly.

After dealing Taijuan Walker earlier in the offseason, Dipoto made it no secret that the Mariners were looking for upgrades in the rotation. The 27-year-old Smyly should help fill that gap. Last season, Smyly posted a 4.88 ERA over 175 1/3 innings with the Rays. Though his ERA was high, Smyly has been a much better pitcher in the past. Coming into 2016, he had a career 3.24 ERA over four seasons. If Smyly can get back to his former numbers, he could make for a strong No. 3 starter behind Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma.

In order to make the move, Dipoto had to get creative. In exchange for Smyly, the Mariners gave up outfielder Mallex Smith, 17-year-old shortstop Carlos Vargas and pitcher Ryan Yarbrough.

Mallex Smith’s tenure in Seattle didn’t last long. (Getty Images/Jim McIsaac)

“Wait a minute,” you might be asking yourself, “I didn’t realize Mallex Smith was on the Mariners.” You could be forgiven for that. The Mallex Smith era in Seattle lasted roughly 45 minutes. He was acquired by Seattle early Wednesday in a deal with the Atlanta Braves and flipped to Tampa Bay almost immediately.

In 215 plate appearances with Atlanta last year, Smith hit .238/.316/.365. The 23-year-old is known more for his strong defense in center and his speed. While his 16 stolen bases in limited time was impressive, Smith was also caught stealing eight times.

Due to his age, it’s tough to predict what Vargas will become. The 17-year-old hit .242/.344/.391 over 256 plate appearances in the Dominic Summer League. He remains years away from making an impact in the majors. Yarbrough, 25, posted a 2.95 ERA over 128 1/3 innings in Double-A last season. The left-hander struck out 99 and walked 31.

With the Smyly deal, Dipoto has now made 11 trades this winter. That may be his limit, however. Shortly after the deal was announced, Dipoto told reporters “you may not hear from us again.” Given his track record, there are reasons to be skeptical of that statement.

Eleven deals in just a few months might seem like a lot, but you can’t fault Dipoto for being active. The Mariners finished just three games out of the wild card last season, and currently hold the longest postseason drought in baseball. After coming so close in 2016, Dipoto is doing all he can to break that drought in 2017.

The Smyly deal may do just that. While Smyly isn’t the perfect pitcher, he should give the Mariners an extra win or two this season. For a team on the verge of the postseason, that might be all it takes to push them over the edge.