Looks like the Marlins have begun their fire sale in their quest to dump salary as they have traded former All Star Dee Gordon to the Seattle Mariners.
MarinersPR on Twitter
Mariners acquire two-time All-Star Dee Gordon and international slot money from Miami in exchange for minor leaguers Robert Dugger, Nick Neidert and Christopher Torres. Read: https://t.co/NaAJkGlJRP
Gordon was a 2x All-Star second baseman for the team and was also the 2015 National League Batting Champion, a season in which he hit .333/.359/.418 (BA, OBP, SLG, respectfully) with 205 hits and 58 stolen bases in 145 games for the Marlins.
In return, the Mariners are sending the Marlins Nick Neidert, prospect Chris Torres, and RHP Robert Dugger. In addition to the speedster Gordon, the Mariners will also receive $1 million in international bonus pool money, which puts them in the lead in the race for Shohei Ohtani.
Ken Rosenthal on Twitter
Addition of $1M in int’l slot money, as reported by @Feinsand, would bring #Mariners to $3.557M, putting them slightly above #Rangers in race for Ohtani.
Dee provides us with a dynamic presence at the top of our lineup, said Mariners’ General Manager Jerry Dipoto. Hes a two-time All-Star and former National League batting champion who is electric on the basepaths, having already won three stolen base titles. His athleticism will be an asset both in our lineup and in the middle of our outfield for several seasons to come.
Where will Gordon play for his new team? Well with Robinson Cano entrenched at second base, it looks like it’s the outfield for Dee.
“We’re going to play Dee in center field,” continued Dipoto. “It’s a conversation that’s already occurred. We’re very excited about bringing on this kind of athletehis athletic ability is obvious to those who watch, but his ability to close ground, and more specifically, his launchability, that first-step burst that Dee gets is on par with the elite center fielders in baseball. We feel like that gives him a chance to be a separator in center field.”
With Gordon owed nearly $40 million guaranteed through the next three seasons, including a buyout for the 2021 season, the Marlins had to make a move, but it wasn’t the one we saw coming.
