This afternoon, the White Sox traded catcher Omar Narvaez to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-handed relief pitcher Alex Colome. The latest trade buzz surrounding the Mariners involved Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz heading to the Mets for a haul of prospects and a couple big league pieces, but the Colome-Narvaez deal came to fruition first.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) November 30, 2018
The White Sox are getting a reliable back-end reliever in Colome. The 29-year old righty has posted 96 saves along with a 22-18 record, 3.12 ERA, 1.212 WHIP, and 5.6 WAR over the course of his six-year Major League career with the Rays and Mariners. He has struck out 314 batters in 340.2 innings pitched (243 games). Via brooksbaseball.net, Colome’s arsenal primarily consists of a 96 MPH four-seam fastball and a 91 MPH cutter with an occasional 91 MPH changeup and 96 MPH sinker. Given the current state of the bullpen on the South Side, Colome could very well fill the closer role. The video below contains highlights of Alex Colome’s work when he was named the AL Reliever of the Month in August 2017.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKEjxPR3a6I]
On the Seattle front, they were impressed with Narvaez’s offensive progress last season (.275/.366/.429) and enticed by his team-friendly deal.
Jerry Dipoto on new Mariners catcher, Omar Narváez. pic.twitter.com/c1NZZd09Tv
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) November 30, 2018
With Narvaez gone, the White Sox may have to explore free agency or other trades for another catcher if they feel Seby Zavala or Zack Collins are not ready for Major League action come March 2019.
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Featured Image: Jennifer Buchanan/USA TODAY Sports
