Blue Jays officially start sell-off, agree to trade relief pitcher to the Mariners

It has been an insanely busy day around the American League East. At around midnight, the Tampa Bay Rays sent Randy Arozarena, the face of their franchise, to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for a pair of prospects.

By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, the Rays had sent staff ace Zach Eflin to the division rival Orioles and the Blue Jays agreed on a deal with the Mariners involving relief pitcher Yimi Garcia.

Garcia is going to be the first of many Blue Jays players moved in the coming days. The trade deadline is Tuesday evening and the likes of Yusei Kikuchi, Danny Jansen, Chad Green and perhaps Trevor Richards figure to also be on the move.

Blue Jays trade Yimi Garcia to the Mariners

Per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith, the two confirmed pieces in the return are outfielder Jonatan Clase, who was the Mariners' No. 9 prospect per Just Baseball and No. 10 per MLB Pipeline's pre-season rankings, and catcher Jacob Sharp.

Clase, 22, made his big league debut earlier this season with the Mariners. The switch-hitter made it into 19 games, going just 8-for-41 (.195) with three stolen bases and three runs batted in. He's an excellent baserunner and defender, with center field being his position by trade. This year in Triple-A Tacoma, he hit 10 home runs with 34 RBI in just 59 games, posting a .274 average and .856 OPS along the way.

Since he's a big league-ready outfielder, Clase could conceivably see some time in the Blue Jays' outfield this year if Kevin Kiermaier ends up being moved. Kiermaier passed through waivers unclaimed, but a trade could still come together in the coming days.

Sharp was taken by the Mariners in the 17th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The 22-year-old isn't ranked highly on any national prospect lists, but he's proven to be a respectable catcher in his early days in the minor leagues. He's made it into 44 games for the Mariners' Single-A affiliate this year, registering 17 extra-base hits while walking (18) nearly as often as he struck out (19).

Garcia, 33, is a rental who emerged as one of the Blue Jays' most reliable relievers this season. He made it into 29 games, registering five saves along the way and posting a 2.70 ERA across 30 innings of work. He's a reliable and durable option who will help the Mariners out at the back-end of their bullpen as they eye a spot in the 2024 playoffs.