Marlins Trade Dee Gordon to Mariners
The Mariners have acquired second baseman Dee Gordon in a trade with the Marlins, Seattle announced. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first to report the news.
Miami acquires two minor league pitchers—Robert Dugger and Nick Neidert—and minor league shortstop Christopher Torres. Neidert is Seattle’s No. 2 prospect and Torres is No. 7, according to MLB.com.
The Mariners also receive $1 million in international bonus pool money to aid in their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani.
It’s a bit of a curious move for Seattle to trade for a middle infielder when Robinson Cano and Jean Segura have already established themselves as two of the team’s top players. The initial plan is to put Gordon, who has never played in the outfield as a pro, in centerfield, Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio reports. Jarrod Dyson, Seattle’s centerfielder in 2017, is a free agent.
The Seattle outfield would become more crowded if they are lucky enough to sign Ohtani. General manager Jerry Dipoto has said he would be willing to give 37-year-old Nelson Cruz, who hasn’t been a full-time outfielder since 2013, occasional reps in rightfield to accomadate Ohtani at DH.
The Marlins have been anxious to unload as much of their future salary obligations as possible this winter. Trade talks to move Giancarlo Stanton’s mammoth deal have stagnated in recent days but Gordon is owed $38.5 million over the next four years.
Gordon, 29, batted .308 with a .716 OPS this season and led the majors with 60 stolen bases.
