SEATTLE — Jerry Dipoto’s 11th trade this offseason rounded out the Seattle Mariners roster with his top target.
“I’ve probably spent more time through the course of our offseason trying to acquire Drew Smyly than any other thing that we’ve done,” the general manager said Wednesday.
Seattle made pair of deals on Wednesday that ultimately landed Smyly, a left-hander Dipoto thinks will fill out the Mariners starting rotation. Seattle also landed a potential key reliever, getting right-hander Shae Simmons from the Atlanta Braves.
The Mariners acquired outfielder Mallex Smith from Atlanta, then sent him to Tampa Bay along with infielder Carlos Vargas and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough for Smyly. Smith was also an offseason target for the Mariners but when Seattle acquired Jarrod Dyson from Kansas City last week, Smith instead became a conduit in helping to obtain 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.
The acquisitions of Smyly and Yovani Gallardo from Baltimore last week appear to have filled out a starting rotation in which Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton were the only certainties.
Smyly, 27, made 30 starts last season for Tampa Bay, throwing a career-high 1751/3 innings and striking out 167. He was 7-12 with a 4.88 ERA.
Smyly was 15-15 with a 3.95 ERA in 49 starts for Tampa Bay after being acquired from Detroit in the 2014 trade deadline deal that sent David Price to the Tigers. He is arbitration eligible.
METS: Right-hander Zack Wheeler agreed to an $800,000, one-year contract after missing two seasons because of a torn elbow ligament.
Now 26, Wheeler was 7-5 with a 3.42 ERA as a rookie in 2013 and 11-11 with a 3.54 ERA the following year. He had Tommy John surgery on March 25, 2015.
TWINS: Right-handers Ryan Vogelsong and Nick Tepesch agreed to minor league deals and will compete for spots in a rotation that was among the major leagues’ worst last season.
• Former Twins Torii Hunter and LaTroy Hawkins will serve as television analysts this season for broadcasts on Fox Sports North, joining a rotating team that also includes Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris and Roy Smalley.
CUBS: The World Series champions have accepted President Barack Obama’s invitation and will visit the White House on Monday.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Obama is “really looking forward to it” and that any sports fan could appreciate “the historic run that the Chicago Cubs had through the playoffs and to a World Series title this year.”