The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they have traded Joe Wieland to the Seattle Mariners for minor league infielder Erick Mejia.
Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan initially reported the news.
Wieland is 1-5 in 11 career MLB appearances with a 5.85 earned run average. He made two starts for the Dodgers in 2015, allowing eight earned runs in 8.2 innings.
Eric Stephen of SB Nation’s True Blue LA posited one reason for this trade by Los Angeles:
Passan reported earlier in the day the Dodgers were close to agreeing to a deal with Cuban right-hander Yasiel Sierra for roughly $30 million. Keeping Wieland wouldn’t have precluded Sierra from being a part of the Dodgers’ roster, but it makes adding him a lot easier.
Given Wieland’s history in the majors, it’s hard to say this move adds depth to the rotation from a Seattle perspective. The Mariners’ five slots are nearly spoken for anyway, with James Paxton a good bet to be the No. 5 starter as long as he can stay healthy.
Wieland could be an emergency spot starter or play a long-relief role during the regular season. Since he has two more years of arbitration remaining, he is also a cost-controlled arm, which likely played into the Mariners’ decision.
Mejia spent 2015 between Seattle’s Rookie League, Low-A, Single-A and Triple-A affiliates. In 51 games, the 21-year-old hit .282/.346/.339 with 16 runs batted in and 20 stolen bases. Baseball Prospectus’ Christopher Crawford believes the Dodgers got solid value for Wieland:
Considering Wieland was unlikely to factor much on Los Angeles’ major league roster, taking a flier on a young middle infielder is a smart gamble by the team.
The Dodgers could also package him together with one or more of their top prospects in order to trade for a more major league-ready star.
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