The Seattle Mariners acquired reliever Mike Baumann and catcher Michael Perez from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league catcher Blake Hunt, the team announced on Wednesday.
According to sources, the trade involves right-handed reliever Mike Baumann, who had been designated for assignment by the Orioles a few days earlier, and minor league catcher Blake Hunt. Baumann has been a solid reliever for the last two seasons, while Hunt, 25, has an impressive .905 OPS at Triple-A this year.
Baumann was designated for assignment on Saturday to make room for Grayson Rodríguez’s return from the IL. Baumann has posted a 3.44 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP over 18 1/3 innings in 2024 and should help bolster the Mariners’ bullpen.
Pérez, meanwhile, has appeared in parts of six MLB seasons with the Mets and Pirates but did not play in the majors for the Orioles this year. The 30-year-old has a career OPS+ of 52 and brings experience from the Winter Leagues in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
On the other side, the 25-year-old Blake Hunt has recorded an impressive .293/.372/.533 slash line in 23 Triple-A games. He will provide the Orioles with organizational depth at catcher behind Adley Rutschman and James McCann.
Although this trade doesn’t involve high-profile players, along with the trade between the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins for Luis Arráez, it signals that some teams are not waiting until the trade deadline to make roster adjustments.
Currently, the Seattle Mariners lead the AL West division with a record of 27-23, while the Baltimore Orioles are in second place in their division with a record of 29-18.
