SEATTLE -- Even Paul Sewald was impressed with the haul that the Mariners received in the very deal that centered on him being sent to the D-backs ahead of Tuesday’s Trade Deadline. Seattle added big league infielder/outfielder Josh Rojas and two promising prospects who both cracked their Top 15 rankings by MLB Pipeline.

Here’s a rundown of what you need to know about all of the newest members of the Mariners’ system.

Dominic Canzone, OF (No. 13 prospect)
Acquired from D-backs for Sewald

Pipeline scouting report: Canzone never batted below .323 in any of his three seasons at Ohio State, and he went out with a bang as a junior in 2019 with a program-record 59-game on-base streak. Scouts were still not sold his swing would hold up in the pros, and the D-backs snagged him in the eighth round. The left-handed slugger was a productive High-A and Double-A hitter in his first full season in 2021 and got some time in the Arizona Fall League to boot. He spent the majority of his age-24 campaign with Triple-A Reno, slashing .284/.349/.489 with 16 homers in 88 games, but went unprotected and unpicked in last year’s Rule 5 Draft when eligible. He raked again in Reno in 2023 with an OPS north of 1.000, which led to his first big league callup in July. He was with the D-backs when he was sent along with Ryan Bliss to the Mariners in the Sewald trade.

The former Buckeye shows a penchant for nabbing the occasional bag with back-to-back seasons with 15-plus steals, but his below-average speed limits his defensive value. He’s ticketed for an outfield corner spot and has mixed in more first base into his glove work as Arizona tried to find a spot for his bat in the lineup. He played right field some and DH'ed more during his time up with the D-backs, but now it will be up to the Mariners to find a spot for his bat in their lineup.

Organizational fit: Canzone should contribute in the Majors down the stretch, particularly if he’s able to show any semblance of the production he had at Reno, where he slashed .354/.431/.634 (1.065 OPS) with 16 homers, 18 doubles and 71 RBIs in 71 games. He profiles more as a corner outfielder but has also played sparingly at first base, and the Mariners’ front office values defensive versatility.

ETA: 2023

Ryan Bliss, INF
Acquired from D-backs for Sewald

Pipeline scouting report: A 30th-round pick by the Red Sox from the Georgia high school ranks in 2018, Bliss chose to go to Auburn, where he was made an immediate starter. He got off to a hot start in the shortened pandemic season in 2020 and carried that over to a breakout 2021 campaign in which he hit .365/.428/.654 with a career-best 15 homers. The D-backs selected Bliss in the second round that July and signed him for below slot at $1.25 million. He spent his entire first full season with High-A Hillsboro but struggled to reproduce his collegiate numbers, hitting .214/.298/.343 with 10 homers and an 82 wRC+ over 484 plate appearances. Adjustments paid off as he hit his way from Double-A to Triple-A in 2023, with a stop at the Futures Game to boot.

Listed at just 5-foot-6, 165 pounds, Bliss has shown a little more pop over the last few years than his size alone would indicate, but his raw power remains limited from the right side. He employs a leg kick to get to that pop and put the ball in the air perhaps too much in the Northwest League, leading to catchable flyballs and a .268 BABIP that dragged down his offensive profile. Early in 2023, he shows a slightly more closed-off stance and a more active front leg that can help him stay short to the ball, something that enabled him to post a 1.008 OPS in Amarillo and earn a promotion to Reno.

Bliss was bumping against top Arizona prospect Jordan Lawlar at shortstop and was getting more looks at second base, where many believed he would be a better long-term fit. His above-average speed makes him a constant steal threat in the modern age, so Bliss doesn’t even have to hit a ton to become a potential utility infielder at the top level.

Organizational fit: If Bliss is anywhere close to the player he’s been at Double-A this year in the long run, maybe the Mariners will be able to sort out their challenges at second base, a position that’s been among MLB’s least productive since they traded away Robinson Canó after the 2018 season. At the very least, he’ll be one of their most intriguing players in Spring Training.

ETA: 2024