SEATTLE -- The Mariners’ non-tender decisions were slightly delayed before Friday’s 5 p.m. PT deadline due to a trade that will send reliever Isaiah Campbell to the Red Sox in exchange for infielder Luis Urías.
Shortly after, the club announced that it had tendered contracts to each of the 30 players on its 40-man roster who were not already signed for the 2024 season. Only Mike Ford was non-tendered and became a free agent, which settled his status after he was designated for assignment on Tuesday.
The trade fits the bill for what president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto indicated at the GM Meetings last week, saying that the club is in the market for multiple right-handed, contact-oriented bats.
TRADE DETAILS
Mariners receive: INF Luis Urías
Red Sox receive: RHP Isaiah Campbell
Urías is coming off a down year, having slashed .194/.337/.299 (.636 OPS) with six doubles, three homers and 18 RBIs in 177 plate appearances, valued at 83 wRC+ and minus-0.1 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. He was limited to 52 games, in large part due to a strained left hamstring that he sustained on Opening Day and that sidelined him for two months with the Brewers; he was optioned to Triple-A Nashville 20 games after he returned. Milwaukee then dealt Urías to Boston at the Trade Deadline, and the Red Sox had been expected to non-tender him on Friday.
In the two seasons prior, Urías was far more productive, worth 2.1 WAR and 112 wRC+ in 2021 and 2.3 WAR and 110 wRC+ in 2022, for a combined slash line of .244/.340/.426 (.766 OPS), with 39 homers, 122 RBIs, 215 strikeouts and 113 walks in that stretch. He also carried a 20.6 percent strikeout rate, which is notable this offseason, as Seattle seeks less swing-and-miss.
The Mariners are banking on the 26-year-old recapturing that success while avoiding the lulls that many of their acquisitions from the National League Central have experienced in recent years, most notably Kolten Wong, Jesse Winker and Adam Frazier.
Urías has one Minor League option remaining and can play each infield position, with 191 games of experience at third base, 158 at second and 141 at shortstop, making him another versatile -- and controllable -- option that Dipoto’s front office covets. He’s projected to earn $5.25 million via arbitration, per Cots Baseball Contracts, and isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2025 season.
Urías joins a crowded infield rotation alongside Dylan Moore, Sam Haggerty, José Caballero, Josh Rojas and No. 14 prospect Ryan Bliss heading into Spring Training. Among that group, aside from Bliss, only Caballero has Minors options remaining.
Campbell departs the organization after making a long-awaited debut in 2023 after multiple setbacks with his pitching elbow that included season-ending surgery in ‘21. A second-round Draft pick in ‘19, he progressively earned more leverage opportunities from manager Scott Servais down the stretch last season, posting a 2.83 ERA with 13 walks, 33 strikeouts and a 1.221 WHIP in 27 games as a rookie.