The Toronto Blue Jays made their first big move this season, trading reliever Yimi Garcia to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for rookie outfielder Jonatan Clase and minor league catcher Jacob Sharp.
Garcia, who recently returned from the injured list will be a free agent after this year. He will head to Seattle with a 3-0 record, 2.70 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched. Garcia, now 33, signed as an amateur free agent in 2009 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, making his MLB debut with the team in 2014. Since then, he’s played for the Miami Marlins and the Houston Astros between 2020 and 2021, to go along with three years (2022-2024) with the Blue Jays.
Now, as for what Toronto received in return, Clase, who is 22, signed with Seattle as an international free agent in 2018. He has spent most of the year with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, hitting .274 with an .856 OPS, along with 10 homers, 34 RBIs and 26 stolen bases in 59 games. He made his big league debut with the Mariners earlier in April.
Sharp, also 22, was selected in the 17th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He hit .335 with 12 homers, 48 RBIs and an 1.002 OPS through 46 games in his junior year at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Sharp has spent this season with the Single-A Modesto Nuts, batting .255 with a .773 OPS, along with six homers and 29 RBIs in 44 games played.
Clase was ranked 13th among Mariners’ prospects by Baseball America earlier in the year. Sharp did not make in the top 30 prospect list for the Mariners by BA.
