Report: Mariners Acquire Curt Casali, Matthew Boyd in Pair of Deals With Giants
The Mariners have reportedly acquired catcher Curt Casali and left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd in a pair of trades with the Giants, per Robert Murray of FanSided. Full details of the deals are unknown, though left-handed pitching prospect Michael Stryffeler and 2021 fifth-round draft pick Andy Thomas are said to be the returns for Casali and Boyd, respectively.
The Seattle Mariners are acquiring catcher Curt Casali from the San Francisco Giants for Michael Stryffeler, according to sources familiar with the situation.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) August 2, 2022
Both Casali (oblique) and Boyd (elbow) are currently on the injured list.
Casali began a rehab assignment on July 27 and has played three games in Triple-A thus far. Before his injury, the veteran backstop slashed .231/.325/.370 with four home runs and 14 RBI in 41 games played, with his last MLB appearance coming on July 4.
It is likely that, when healthy, Casali will replace Luis Torrens as the Mariners' primary backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. Torrens has struggled mightily in 2022, going from 15 home runs the year prior to none in 42 games this season. In all, he has slashed .208/.262/.225 with subpar defense and has rarely seen consistent action behind the plate, forcing Raleigh to take on a significant workload over the course of the season.
Seattle will not only hope Casali can take some of the catching duties off Raleigh's shoulders, but that he will provide a significant upgrade over Torrens defensively. Casali, 33, is widely regarded as an above-average game caller and has experience with the team's biggest addition of the summer, right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo, from their time together with the Reds.
Boyd, meanwhile, hasn't pitched in a live game since September 4, 2021 but is seemingly working his way back to the mound, throwing a 40-pitch bullpen session on July 25. It's unclear as to when the Sammamish, Washington native will be able to begin a rehab assignment, but the Mariners are taking a low risk chance he's able to return and provide depth out of the bullpen or in the rotation.
With the Tigers last year, Boyd completed 78.2 innings over 15 starts, averaging 7.67 strikeouts and 2.63 walks per nine innings pitched with a 3.89 ERA and 4.10 FIP.
