The MLB offseason keeps giving us news and interesting developments.
On Thursday night, the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a trade.
The Mariners sent outfielder Kyle Lewis to the desert, while the snakes are shipping catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel to the Ms.
Both men are 27 years old with several years of control left.
MLB insider Jeff Passan provided an accurate evaluation of the transaction, seen as a worthy gamble for both sides.
“Love a good challenge trade, and this one between Seattle and Arizona qualifies. Kyle Lewis, 27, is mega-talented and won ROY in the COVID season. He should get a full-time shot in Arizona. Cooper Hummel, 27, is a late-blooming OBP machine with excellent positional flexibility,” he tweeted.
Love a good challenge trade, and this one between Seattle and Arizona qualifies. Kyle Lewis, 27, is mega-talented and won ROY in the COVID season. He should get a full-time shot in Arizona. Cooper Hummel, 27, is a late-blooming OBP machine with excellent positional flexibility.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 17, 2022
A Fair Trade
Lewis was a star in 2020, taking home AL Rookie of the Year honors with a .262/.364/.437 slash line, 11 home runs, 37 runs, 28 RBI and five stolen bases in 58 games.
Seattle thought they had one for the future, but recurrent knee issues have derailed most of his last two seasons.
Perhaps his career can find some new air in Arizona, where he is expected to have a prominent role if healthy.
Hummel is an on-base machine who hit just .176/.274/.307 in 2022, but has several minor league seasons with an OBP higher than .400.
He has some modest power and speed, but is not a slugger or a burner.
His value comes from his ability to get on base and his positional flexibility: he can play catcher and some outfield, too.
All things considered, it’s a pretty even trade considering Lewis has a lot to prove before being back to the high place he had two years ago.
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