The Boston Red Sox have strengthened their team by acquiring Carson Smith and Roenis Elias from the Seattle Mariners in exchange of left-hander Wade Miley and reliever Jonathan Aro on Monday, Dec. 7.
As reported by ESPN, Smith enjoyed a good first full season in the big leagues. He made 70 appearances for the Seattle Mariners last season, going 2-5 with 13 saves and an ERA of 2.31. He will now join a team anchored by new closer, Craig Kimbel.
"I think it really gives us another power arm in the bullpen," said Dave Dombrowski, Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations. "It gives us a little more depth out there."
The Red Sox made a smart move to add a good right-hander to their bullpen. The Mariners, on the other hand, got a powerful starting pitcher who can get a lot of inning.
According to Yahoo Sports, this was the Seattle Mariners' move after losing free agent pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Iwakuma had been their top priority but the Dodgers locked him in for a three-day worth a reported $45 million. The Mariners had no choice but to go back to the trade market.
The Seattle Mariners will have Miley for two years and it can be extended up to three if they choose to. Miley is under contract for $6.16 million for 2016 and $8.9 million for 2017. He also has a $12 million team option for 2018.
The 29-year-old player is well known for the number of innings he can get in mid-rotations. In each of his four full seasons, he has thrown at least 190 innings and made at least 32 starts. He won 16 games with a 3.33 ERA as a rookie in 2012. He also finished second for Rookie of the Year title and was an All-Star.