Seattle Mariners Trade Robbie Ray to San Francisco Giants, Reunite With Mitch Haniger
The Seattle Mariners have agreed to trade left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for outfielder Mitch Haniger and right-handed pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, the teams announced Friday afternoon.
ESPN's Jeff Passan was first to report the move.
According to The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, the Giants are sending an additional $6 million back to the Mariners as part of the trade. Ray and Haniger also each earned $1 million bonuses for being traded, making it a cash-neutral deal for both sides.
Ray is still recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last May. The 32-year-old southpaw has three years and $73 million left on his current contract, but he has an opt-out following the 2024 season.
The Mariners signed Ray right after he won the AL Cy Young with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 – a late breakout year for the longtime reliable Arizona Diamondbacks starter. Ray's production came back down to earth in 2022, however, and he made just one start before getting hurt in 2023.
Ray is expected to return to the mound after the All-Star break, at which point he should provide much-needed reinforcements to a thin Giants rotation surrounding ace Logan Webb.
Haniger, meanwhile, will be right at home in Seattle, considering he played for the Mariners from 2017 to 2022. He made an All-Star appearance in 2018, finishing 11th in AL MVP voting that year.
Thanks to his 39 home runs and 100 RBI, Haniger finished 20th in AL MVP voting in 2021. In the two seasons since then, though, Haniger has been limited to just 17 home runs and 72 RBI in 118 games played.
The 33-year-old Haniger is on the books for $17 million in 2024, and he has a $15.5 million player option for 2025. He should take over as the Mariners' everyday right fielder, barring any additional injuries.
DeSclafani, who is set to turn 34 years old in April, is entering his 11th major league season. He was an innings eater for the Cincinnati Reds before he joined the Giants in 2021.
Across 19 appearances in 2023, DeSclafani went 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA, 1.254 WHIP and 0.2 WAR. DeSclafani is 54-56 with a 4.20 ERA, 1.268 WHIP and 10.2 WAR for his career.
DeSclafani is slated to make $12 million this season before hitting free agency next winter. In the meantime, he should slot into Ray's spot in the starting rotation behind Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller.
The Giants were recently pegged as one of the four finalists for Japanese free agent Shota Imanaga, but it remains to be seen if they keep pursuing him after acquiring another left-handed starter in the same price range.
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