Spring Training Continues Dipoto Makes Another Trade

The Seattle Mariners have now won four out of five games in the first week of spring training games however he decided to make another trade to add depth for the minor leagues in regards to the starting pitching.

Dipoto traded for right handed starting pitcher Chase De Jong from the Los Angeles Dodgers for shortstop Drew Jackson and pitcher Aneurys Zabala.  I don’t know much about De Jong however he is twenty-three years old and was drafted in the second round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012. He had a record last year in Double A of 14-5 with an era of 3.24 in 25 starts. The Mariners expect him to start this year in Tacoma. He certainly will add more depth to the starting pitching especially at a young age. Depending on how he does with Tacoma I would not be surprised to see him called up in September to see some action and he could be in the Mariner rotation next year. Another pitcher that may be in the rotation next year is Andrew Moore who the Mariners drafted in 2015 out of Oregon State. Dipoto is not only adding depth to the starting rotation for the Mariners this season but for the future as well.

Drew Jackson is the same age as De Jong and was drafted in the fifth round by the Mariners in 2015. He played last year at Bakersfield in the High-A and batted .258 in 124 games. He was rated the Mariners third top prospect going into this season and the top shortstop. He is another top player that Dipoto has traded that was picked by Jack Z.  He was expected to play in Double A this year. With the Mariners acquiring Jean Segura from the Arizona Diamondbacks I am sure that Dipoto felt Jackson was expendable to acquire a quality pitcher like De Jong. Tyler Smith who is expected to play in Tacoma once again would be considered the Mariners number one shortstop prospect at this point.

The other who the Mariners traded to the Dodgers in the trade pitcher Aneurys Zabala is twenty years old out of the Dominican Republic. He spent last year as a relief pitcher for Peoria in the Arizona Rookie League. With the depth that the Mariners have in relief pitching they felt he was expendable.

The Mariners will be taking on the World Series champs the Chicago Cubs on Thursday and Friday. Ariel Miranda makes his second start of the spring against the Cubs on Thursday. The Mariners will be starting a mixture of starters and reserves in this game. Go M’s.