The Seattle Mariners saw their bullpen give up three runs to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night, so they went out and got some help, acquiring reliever Mike Baumann from the Baltimore Orioles, per Jeff Passan:
“Trade news: The Seattle Mariners are acquiring right-handed reliever Mike Baumann from the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Blake Hunt, sources tell ESPN. Baumann, DFA'd a few days back, has been a solid reliever for the last two seasons. Hunt, 25, is OPSing .905 at AAA this year.”
Baumann was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Saturday to make room on their 26-man roster for starter Grayson Rodriguez, who was reinstated off the injured list. Baumann, a 28-year-old right-hander who is out of minor league options, made 17 relief appearances this season with Baltimore, going 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA. The 2017 third-round draft pick spent parts of four seasons with the Orioles, compiling a 13-5 record with a 4.45 ERA.
He now joins a Mariners team that is fighting to separate themselves in the American League West. Seattle is currently 27-23, good for a three-game lead in the division. But the Houston Astros, off to a terrible start this season, are lurking and gaining ground after winning seven of their last 10 games.
The Mariners send minor league catcher Hunt back to Baltimore in the deal. The former Competitive Balance Round B selection out of Mater Dei (CA) High School by the San Diego Padres in 2017 was acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a five-player trade that sent Blake Snell to the Padres on December 29, 2020, before being traded to the Mariners for catcher Tatem Levins on November 6, 2023.
Hunt has yet to appear in a Major League game and is ranked as the No. 23 Mariners prospect by MLB Pipeline.
The Mariners have four out-of-options relievers of their own, but they can send down either Eduard Bazardo or Cody Bolton to plug Baumann into the bullpen. Despite lacking huge swing-and-miss tallies, he should deepen their middle relief group. The Jacksonville product has induced ground-balls at a solid 46.4% clip. He averages north of 96 MPH on his fastball and mixes in a knuckle-curve and slider with frequency. Baumann has between one and two years of major league service. The Mariners can control him for four seasons beyond the current campaign and he won’t be eligible for arbitration until the 2025-26 offseason.
The Mariners liked Baumann enough to part with Hunt, who is a more intriguing player than teams typically land for someone they’d designated for assignment.
The Mariners look to bounce back against the Yankees on Thursday night.
