Seattle Mariners Trade Red-Hot Closer Paul Sewald to Arizona Diamondbacks

The Mariners sent one of their most valuable assets to the Diamondbacks with the MLB trade deadline just 24 hours away.

The Seattle Mariners have agreed to trade closer Paul Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Republic beat reporter Nick Piecoro first reported Monday. Per Piecoro, the Mariners will be getting outfielder Dominic Canzone, infielder Ryan Bliss and infielder Josh Rojas back in return.

Sewald was 3-1 with 21 saves, a 2.93 ERA, a 1.023 WHIP and 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings through 45 appearances this season. Just since July 9, the right-hander had five saves with a 1.17 ERA, a 1.043 WHIP and 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Across four seasons with the New York Mets, Sewald was 1-14 with three saves, a 5.50 ERA, a 1.364 WHIP and 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Since signing with the Mariners in free agency in 2021, however, Sewald is 18-8 with 55 saves, a 2.88 ERA, a 0.926 WHIP and 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

The 33-year-old reliever was a major contributor to the Mariners boasting the fourth best bullpen ERA in the league at 3.64. The Diamondbacks' bullpen, on the other hand, ranks No. 23 with a 4.49 ERA and No. 22 with a 1.35 WHIP.

No other Mariners reliever has more than two saves this season.

Seattle is getting back Arizona's No. 19 and No. 29 prospects in Canzone and Bliss, according to MLB Pipeline, while Rojas had been serving as the Diamondbacks' primary starting third baseman before getting optioned to Triple-A Reno in mid-June.

Canzone has appeared in 15 games at the major league level this season, batting .237 with one home run, two doubles, eight RBI and a .667 OPS in the big leagues. In 302 career games of minor league action, Canzone hit .310 with 60 home runs, 78 doubles, 41 stolen bases, 250 RBI and a .933 OPS.

Bliss has yet to make his MLB debut since getting picked in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The middle infielder was hitting .358 with 12 homers, 30 stolen bases, 47 RBI and a 1.008 OPS with Double-A Amarillo this season, but was hitting below the Mendoza Line 13 games into his stint with Triple-A Reno.

The two prospects, as well as the 29-year-old Rojas, will now join the Mariners' farm system, which ranked No. 24 in baseball entering 2023.

It remains to be seen if the Sewald deal is a one-off for the Mariners this summer, or if they will continue to sell. Seattle is currently 54-51 – 5.5 games back in the AL West and 4.5 games back on the final AL Wild Card spot – with the MLB trade deadline set for 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

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