The Seattle Mariners announced on Tuesday that they acquired veteran reliever Rafael Montero in a trade with the Texas Rangers. In order to get Montero, Mariners parted way with prospect right-handed pitcher Jose Corniell and a player to be named later.
Montero played 17 games for the Rangers in 2020, serving as a closer for the better part of the campaign. He finished the season with eight saves while posting a 4.08 ERA and getting 19 strikeouts.
Seattle is hoping that Montero’s arrival can give depth to their bullpen, which ranked as one of the worst in the league. The team entered the offseason intending to address this issue, and general manager Jerry Dipoto believes getting the 30-year-old slinger is a step in the right direction.
“Rafael is a solid addition to our ongoing efforts to fortify the bullpen,” said Dipoto in a statement. “We see his outstanding stuff and quality performance since converting to a full-time reliever as impactful in our bullpen.”
Montero, who also suited up for NY Mets during his time in the majors, has a career 8-17 record with 4.93 ERA and 242 strikeouts.
The Rangers are also satisfied with the deal, since Jose Corniell could turn out to be a good pickup for them. Being just 17, Corniell has a lot of room to progress and make his mid-90s mph fastball even more dangerous.
