White Sox acquire Alex Colome from Mariners

The Seattle Mariners announced on Friday that they have traded reliever Alex Colome to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for catcher Omar Narvaez.

Although this may not be the Mariners news everyone was expecting amidst the rumors that Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano and reliever Edwin Diaz will be dealt to the New York Mets, it’s certainly notable, and it is one of several trades Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto has worked on in the first month of the offseason.

Colome is arbitration-eligible this offseason, with lots of projections expecting the righty to get paid north of $7 million. However, following this trade, it seems like Colome won’t go to arbitration, since Chicago will likely sign him to a deal prior to the arbitration hearing. If the White Sox liked Colome enough to trade a major-league catcher for him, then they may sign him to a multi-year deal so the trade can be beneficial for them throughout the next few seasons, rather than letting Colome hit free agency soon.

Colome is coming off a season where he played with two organizations. He started the year with the Tampa Bay Rays before being traded to Seattle in a deal involving Denard Span and two minor-leaguers. Throughout the entire 2018 season, the 29-year old was 7-5 over a career-high 70 appearances out of the bullpen. Over 68 innings, he allowed 29 runs on 59 hits and 21 walks while striking out 72 batters. Coming off a 2017 when he posted an AL-leading 47 saves, Colome came back down to Earth in 2018 when he recorded 12 saves.

The one-time All Star hasn’t started a single one of the 192 games he has pitched in since the start of the 2016 season, when he produced his All-Star worthy campaign that featured a 1.91 ERA and 37 saves.

Omar Narvaez just wrapped up his third season in the majors, when he got the most action of his career. Playing in 97 games, he slashed .275/.366/.429 while knocking in 30 runs on 77 hits. He also scored 30 times, including the nine times he homered. He walked 38 times while striking out 65. He also tried to steal a base for his first time in the majors; he was unsuccessful on his two attempts.

Now 26, Narvaez signed with the Rays when he was just 16 years old, but was acquired by Chicago in the 2013 Rule 5 Draft, and that is where he had been ever since.

This is the first trade between the two teams in over a year. Their last trade was just a minor one when, back on November 16, 2018, Seattle sent Thyago Vieira to Chicago in exchange for international bonus slot money.

The trade seems to help both clubs, just like most trades are supposed to. Chicago bolsters its bullpen with a very reliable asset, while Seattle fills a gap behind the plate where they needed help after trading Mike Zunino to Tampa Bay.

Now, it’s time for Dipoto to turn his focus to the blockbuster deal it appears he is about to make with the Mets.