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Padres acquire RHP Enyel De Los Santos and INF Nelson Ward from Seattle

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres announced today they have acquired right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos and infielder Nelson Ward from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-handed pitcher Joaquin Benoit. Executive Vice President/General Manager A.J. Preller made the announcement. 

De Los Santos, 19, made his professional debut for the Mariners organization in 2015, going 6-0 with a 3.47 ERA (24 ER, 62.1 IP) and 71 strikeouts against 18 walks over 13 starts between the Mariners Rookie-Level affiliate and Single-A Everett. In five starts for Seattle's Rookie-Level affiliate he went 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA (7 ER, 24.2 IP) with 29 strikeouts against five walks. A native of the Dominican Republic, the right-hander signed with the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent on July 17, 2014. 

Ward, 23, hit .278 (126-454) with 19 doubles, 13 triples, nine home runs, 55 RBI, 81 runs scored and 13 stolen bases to go along with a .365 on-base percentage and .436 slugging percentage in 122 games between Single-A Clinton and Single-A Bakersfield in 2015. The left-handed hitter made his professional debut for the Mariners organization last season, hitting .253 (48-190) in 60 games across three affiliates. The Georgia native signed with the Mariners as a 12th-ronud selection in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Georgia.

Benoit, 38, went 6-5 with a 2.34 ERA (17 ER, 65.1 IP) and 63 strikeouts against 23 walks in 67 relief appearances for the Padres in 2015, his second season with San Diego. The right-hander signed with the Padres as a free agent in December 2013 and recently had a club option on his contract for the 2016 season exercised by the Padres. Originally signed by the Texas Rangers as a non-drafted free agent in May 1996, he has gone 54-42 with a 3.84 ERA (414 ER, 970.1 IP) and 960 strikeouts against 391 walks over 661 games, 55 starts, across 14 Major League seasons with the Rangers (2001-08), Tampa Bay Rays (2010), Detroit Tigers (2011-13) and Padres (2014-15). 

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