Trade Central: Mariners Acquire Adam Frazier From Padres For Two Prospects

The Padres and Mariners are typically two of baseball’s busiest teams when it comes to offseason trades.

Just before the scheduled expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the two connected to make one of the more notable deals of the offseason so far.

The Padres traded second baseman Adam Frazier to the Mariners on Saturday in exchange for two prospects: lefthanded pitcher Ray Kerr and outfielder Corey Rosier.

Kerr was set to rank No. 29 on the upcoming 2022 Mariners Top 30 Prospects list and Rosier was set to rank just outside of the Top 30. That’s a notably lighter haul than the Padres gave up for Frazier at the trade deadline, when they traded two of their top 15 prospects in infielder Tucupita Marcano and outfielder Jack Suwinski to the Pirates for the all-star infielder.

PADRES ACQUIRE:

Ray Kerr, LHP
Age: 27

Kerr sat 89-93 mph when the Mariners signed him as a nondrafted free agent for $5,000 in 2017, but continued strength gains and a move to the bullpen turned him into one of the hardest-throwing lefties in the minors. Kerr sat 97-98 mph and touched 101 while rising to Triple-A Tacoma last season and got lots of late swings and misses on his fastball due to his tough angle and deceptive, low-effort delivery. Kerr’s 80-84 mph slider is inconsistent and his control is just fringy, but he is an excellent athlete and a late bloomer who is still improving. His slider plays well against lefties and his fastball is a swing-and-miss weapon against hitters from both sides of the plate. Kerr will provide needed bullpen depth for the Padres in 2022. He should make his debut during the season. 

Corey Rosier, OF
Age: 22

A 12th-round pick out of UNC Greensboro last year, Rosier immediately stood out to both Mariners officials and opposing scouts after he signed and became a popular sleeper pick in the organization. Rosier is a plus-plus runner and above-average defender in center field and has a long track record of making contact. He doesn’t offer much projectable power, but his contact skills and speed help him rack up extra-base hits to supplement the occasional home run. Rosier’s abilities to make contact from the left side, play center field and make an impact on the bases have him poised to rise as an extra outfielder, and he could be more if he taps into more power. He is likely to begin 2022 at High-A Fort Wayne.

MARINERS ACQUIRE

Adam Frazier, 2B
Age: 29

Frazier made his first all-star appearance last season after hitting .324/.388/.448 for the Pirates through the break, but he tailed off in the second half and hit just .267/.327/.335 after he was traded to the Padres. Still, Frazier has a long track record of being a productive contact hitter from the left side and will represent a sizable defensive upgrade at second base for the Mariners. His acquisition allows Ty France to stay at first base and Abraham Toro to move back to his natural third base following the team’s decision to decline Kyle Seager’s option, putting everyone at their best position and improving the infield defense. Frazier is in his final year of arbitration and will be a free agent after the season. He’ll be the Mariners’ everyday second baseman and likely hit in the top third of their order.