The Seattle Mariners targeted left-handed starting pitcher Drew Smyly (Little Rock Central, Arkansas Razorbacks) early in the offseason for a starting rotation in need of a talent upgrade.
"I've probably spent more time throughout the course of our offseason trying to acquire Drew Smyly than any other thing that we've done," Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto said.
On Wednesday, Dipoto got creative to land his man. Less than an hour after acquiring outfielder Mallex Smith in a four-player trade with the Atlanta Braves, Dipoto sent the speedy outfielder -- along with left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough and infielder Carlos Vargas -- to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Smyly.
"It became apparent to us over the last two or three days that we were able to access Drew Smyly by making the deal with Atlanta that tapped into Mallex Smith," Dipoto said. "So effectively, these were two deals that were interlinked."
Smyly, 27, last season made a career-high 30 starts, posting a 7-12 record with a 4.88 ERA. In 1751/3 innings, Smyly struck out 167 with 49 walks. His 2.52 walks per nine innings were seventh lowest in the American League.
Over his final 12 starts, Smyly posted a 5-1 record with a 3.73 ERA. In five major league seasons combined with Detroit and Tampa, Smyly is 31-28 with a 3.74 ERA in 156 appearances, including 85 starts.
As a freshman for the Razorbacks in 2009, Smyly had a no-hitter broken up with one out in the ninth inning of an 11-0 NCAA regional victory over Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. Smyly became the ninth pitcher in Razorbacks history to record more than 100 strikeouts in a single season, finishing 2010 with 114 strikeouts, which rank fifth in school history. He was a second-team All-SEC selection with a 9-1 record and a 2.80 ERA in 18 appearances, including 14 starts, that season.
He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the second round of the 2010 MLB Draft and made his major-league debut in 2012, going 4-3 with a 3.99 ERA in 991/3 innings. Smyly was the winning pitcher in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees in 2012, pitching the final two innings in the Tigers' 6-4, 12-inning victory.
Smyly pitched primarily out of the Tigers' bullpen in 2013, but he was named the team's fifth starter in 2014. He was traded to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, along with Willy Adames, in a three-team deal that sent Austin Jackson to the Mariners and David Price to the Tigers. Smyly went 3-1 with a 1.70 ERA in 7 starts after the trade and opponents hit .155 against him, a figure that led the American League over that span.
He is second-year arbitration eligible and projected to make around $6.9 million this season. The two years of club control was a big draw for Seattle.
"We felt he was a really attractive target for us in a market where there were few pitchers available," Dipoto said. "We felt he was a particular highlight. And we focused on him from the get-go."
The Mariners rotation projects as Felix Hernandez, James Paxton, Hisashi Iwakuma, Smyly and Yovani Gallardo.
"He fits our ballpark particularly well," Dipoto said of Smyly. "He's a pretty extreme fly-ball pitcher with the low walks, high strikeouts, who in our ballpark -- with what we think is a greatly improved outfield defense -- fits us like a glove, really."
Smith, 23, made his MLB debut this past season, playing in 72 games and hitting .238 (45 of 189) with a .316 on-base percentage, 7 doubles, 4 triples, 3 home runs and 22 RBI while recording 16 stolen bases. He is capable of playing all three outfield positions, spending most of his time in center field in his professional career. The Rays could start him in left field or use him as a fourth outfielder. He also provides depth.
Smyly’s stats
YR TEAM W-L ERA IP SO
2012 Detroit 4-3 3.99 99 1/3 94
2013 Detroit 6-0 2.37 76 81
2014 Detroit 6-9 3.93 105 1/3 89
2014 Tampa 3-1 1.70 47 2/3 44
2015 Tampa 5-2 3.11 66 2/3 77
2016 Tampa 7-12 4.88 175 1/3 167
TOTAL 31-27 3.74 570 1/3 552
Sports on 01/12/2017