Getty 2021 Cy Young winner Robbie Ray in his sole start for the Seattle Mariners in 2023
The San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners have agreed to a cash-neutral swap of notable players, with the Giants adding former Cy Young award winner Robbie Ray in exchange for outfielder Mitch Haniger and pitcher Anthony DeSclafani.
As The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly described, the Giants will also pay approximately $6 million to the Mariners to make the trade “cash neutral” for 2024, making up the difference for the $23 million owed to Ray and the $29 million owed collectively to Haniger and DeSclafani.
Without a payroll hit for either club, it’s possible that both teams will continue to pursue major free agent additions this offseason.
Robbie Ray Will Look for Return to Cy Young Form for San Francisco Giants
GettyRobbie Ray poses with his Cy Young award
Following their signing of superstar outfielder Jung Hoo Lee from KBO, the addition of Ray marks the second significant offseason move for a Giants team that had pursued but failed to acquire megastars Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. The Giants are reportedly in the mix for yet-to-be-signed stars like Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger as well.
While the addition of Ray might not be as splashy, it could have upside if he can return to his 2021 Cy Young form. That year, he pitched for a 2.84 ERA, 13 wins and 248 strikeouts while starting 32 games. By contrast, his 2023 campaign was an unfortunate one — in his first start of the season, he had trouble locating his fastball, walked five batters and was unable to reach high velocity.
It turned out he was going through a flexor tendon injury and missed the rest of the season to undergo Tommy John surgery. He’s expected to return sometime after the All-Star break in 2024.
If he does reapproach his Cy Young prowess, Ray will be a potent addition to a Giants’ rotation that also includes Logan Webb (3.25 ERA, 194 strikeouts in 2023) and Alex Cobb (3.87 ERA, 131 strikeouts in 2023). And dealing Haniger opens up an outfield or designated hitter spot for Lee or a player to be acquired later.
Mitch Haniger Reunites With Seattle Mariners Where He Slugged at MVP Levels
GettyMitch Haniger celebrates a homer for the Seattle Mariners in 2022
After his worst season at the plate in 2023, Haniger will return to Seattle where he enjoyed an MVP-caliber campaign in 2018. The Mariners are hoping his bat can recapture some of its former glory and fill in the gaps after outfielders Jarred Kelenic and Teoscar Hernandez left for free agency.
That seems like more of a need for the Mariners than potential innings from Ray would have been, as the team’s rotation was one of the strongest in baseball last season, anchored by Luis Castillo (3.34 ERA, 219 strikeouts in 2023), George Kirby (3.35 ERA, 172 strikeouts in 2023) and Logan Gilbert (3.73 ERA, 189 strikeouts in 2023). DeSclafani could be a factor in that rotation if he recaptures the promise he showed for the Giants in 2021.
Ultimately, though the trade involved two players who were once among the best at their positions in MLB, it seems mostly like a mutually-beneficial move to clear space at overcrowded positions for both teams. Given the cash neutral nature of the swap, the Giants and Mariners will remain active in the hunt for more additions before Opening Day.