SEATTLE — The Mariners have landed their much-coveted second baseman and filled a left-handed need in their lineup, acquiring Kolten Wong from the Brewers on Friday in exchange for outfielder Jesse Winker and infielder Abraham Toro.
TRADE DETAILS
Mariners receive: 2B Kolten Wong
Brewers receive: LF/DH Jesse Winker, INF Abraham Toro
The Mariners are also receiving $1.75 million to help offset Wong’s $10 million salary for 2023, after which he will become a free agent. Winker is due $8.25 million in his final year before free agency, essentially making him a salary and player swap for Seattle, while Toro is entering his first year of arbitration as a Super Two player and won’t be a free agent until after 2026.
Wong has been a Mariners target since the club fell short to the Brewers in signing him as a free agent ahead of the 2021 season, when Seattle offered a two-year deal but Milwaukee offered a third-year club option, which at the time, according to sources, was the difference. The Mariners had also checked in on Wong’s availability at the Trade Deadline in each of the past two seasons, but the contending Brewers weren’t motivated to move him.
But with Milwaukee saddled with many arbitration-eligible players scheduled for pay increases this offseason, many in the industry speculated that the club would be inclined to trade some of its higher-cost players for salary relief, prospect capital and/or depth. Toro, the switch-hitting infielder who’s shown flashes of plus play, represents longevity for the Brewers’ roster and Winker, coming off a massively disappointing year, returns to a division where he thrived while facing the motivation of a contract year with the Reds.
The Brewers exercised Wong’s option last month instead of paying him a $2 million buyout, creating the opportunity to shop him, which led to interest from multiple clubs beyond Seattle, per reports.
Wong, 32, is coming off perhaps his best year at the plate, having slashed .251/.339/.430 (.769 OPS) with a career-high 15 homers, 24 doubles, four triples, 47 RBIs and 116 wRC+ (league average is 100) while accumulating 2.5 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs.
Some of that was by design with a more intentional effort to lift the ball more. His line-drive and fly-ball rate the past two years were the highest of his career (49.3% combined), while his ground-ball rate dipped to his lowest (43.7% for ‘21-22). It’s perhaps no coincidence that his OPS+ in each of the past two years — 110 in ‘21 and 118 in ‘22 — was the highest of his career.
Some of that may be attributed to lower body injuries that he battled throughout the year, including a right calf strain from a hit-by-pitch in June that led to a stint on the injured list and lingered despite treatment and experimentation with footwear. A full offseason of rest and a Spring Training with infield coaching guru Perry Hill, who has propelled the defensive prowess of J.P. Crawford and Ty France among others, should help.
