The Giants have finally had a successful offseason.
After previously unsuccessful free-agent bids and missing out on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Giants acquired left-hander Robbie Ray from the Mariners in a 2-for-1 deal. The team announced on Friday.
The Mariners are acquiring outfielder Mitch Haniger, starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani and cash.
San Francisco has been desperately trying to strengthen its roster after missing the playoffs in each of the past two years, and this trade marks a significant turning point after Ohtani and Yamamoto chose the Dodgers.
Ray is one of the top left-handed starters in the sport when healthy, but he started just one game last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery. ESPN reported. He is expected to return after the All-Star break.
The Giants clearly envision Ray, the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner, as a strong complement to current ace Logan Webb.
Ray, 32, has three years and $73 million remaining on a five-year, $115 million contract he signed with the Mariners before the 2022 season.
He can opt out of the final year of his contract and waive the $25 million owed to him.
Ray posted a career-best 2.84 ERA in 2021 with the Blue Jays, but he was 12-12 with a 3.71 ERA in his first season in Seattle and started one game last year.
To acquire Ray, the Giants released Haniger and DeSclafani.
Haniger will return to Seattle, where he played from 2017 to 2022.
The 33-year-old has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, appearing in a total of 118 games over the past two years but only 61 last season.
Haniger hit .209 with a .631 OPS in 2023.
He signed a three-year, $43 million contract with the Giants before last offseason, and has two years and $32.5 million remaining on his contract, with a player option for 2025.
DeSclafani is expected to fill Ray's spot in the rotation and has one year and $12 million left on his contract.
The right-handed pitcher went 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA last season, and posted a 3.17 ERA in 2021 after posting a 5.16 ERA over the past two seasons.
The Mariners, who traded Jared Kelenic to the Braves this offseason, appear to be prioritizing long-term financial flexibility over competing in 2024.
