The Seattle Mariners made a move to upgrade their outfield Friday when they acquired Jarrod Dyson from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for right-handed pitcher Nathan Karns, according to the News Tribune‘s Bob Dutton.
MLB.com’s Greg Johns confirmed the report, and the Mariners made the move official shortly thereafter.
“Jarrod brings us a winning pedigree, along with elite-level defense and baserunning,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said, according to a team press release. “He joins players like Leonys Martin and Jean Segura in creating a disruptive element on the bases to our offensive game while also enhancing our ability to prevent runs on defense.”
After the Mariners announced the trade, Dyson posted a message on Twitter thanking the Royals organization:
Dyson is not going to bring much power to the table considering he’s tallied seven career home runs and 101 RBI since he debuted in 2010, but he will offer the Mariners a major upgrade on the basepaths.
The 32-year-old has recorded at least 25 stolen bases in five consecutive seasons, which is welcome news for a Seattle team that ranked 24th in MLB last season with 56 swipes.
“Since 2012, Dyson has recorded 156 stolen bases, tied for sixth-most in the majors (also: Ben Revere) during that time span,” the Mariners’ press release noted. “Over the last five seasons, the left-handed hitter has been successful on 84.8 percent (156-of-184) of his stolen base attempts, second-best in the majors during that time.”
Johns broke down what Dyson’s addition says about the Mariners’ approach entering the 2017 season:
As for the Royals, Karns represents a low-risk, low-cost acquisition who could help bolster the team’s pitching staff over time, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan noted:
And while the 29-year-old’s 14-9 record and 4.41 ERA in 46 career starts may not be jaw-dropping, he did start last year 5-1 through the first two months of the season before his production tailed off and he was bothered by a lower back strain.
If Karns can channel his pre-All-Star break form from 2016 and continue to keep his fastball velocity around 93 mph while effectively mixing in his curveball and changeup, he could soon look like a bargain for a club that is hoping to return to the postseason following a one-year absence.
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