Mariners deal Suárez to D-backs for Zavala, Vargas

SEATTLE, Wash. — Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Justin Hollander announced today that the Mariners have acquired catcher Seby Zavala and right-handed pitcher Carlos Vargas from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for infielder Eugenio Suárez.

In a corresponding move, RHP Ryan Jensen was designated for assignment to create space on Seattle’s Major League, 40-man roster.

The Mariners Major League, 40-man roster remains full at 40.

“First off, I want to thank Geno for his contributions over the past two years, on and off the field. The day he walked in, he told us ‘good vibes only’ and he brought that mantra to our clubhouse and our fans, he’s truly one of kind and we’re lucky to have had him as part of our club,” President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto said.

“Adding Seby and Carlos is another step toward building the type of deep roster that is required at the Major-League level. Seby is an experienced catcher with excellent defensive skills who will team with Cal behind the plate. And Carlos is a young reliever with the type of “big stuff” that our staff has done a wonderful job developing over the years.”

Zavala, 30, appeared in 7 games with Arizona in 2023 after being claimed of waivers from Chicago-AL on Sept. 6, 2023. With the Diamondbacks, he hit .357 (5×14) with 2 runs, 1 double, 2 RBI and 2 walks, while reaching base at a .471 clip and slugging .429 with a .899 OPS. Zavala also graded among the top defensive catchers in 2023, tallying 6 Defensive Runs Saved (FanGraphs) and ranking among the top 25% of the league in Blocks Above Average and Framing according to Baseball Savant.

Zavala has appeared in parts of 4 Major League seasons with the White Sox (2019–23) and Diamondbacks (2023), batting .210 (96×458) with 55 runs, 21 doubles, 14 home runs, 54 RBI, 1 stolen base and 37 walks in 176 career games. He was a college teammate of Mariners infielder Ty France at San Diego State University prior to being selected by the White Sox in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Vargas, 24, appeared in 5 Major League games with Arizona in 2023, posting a 5.79 ERA (3 ER, 4.2 IP) with 4 walks and 7 strikeouts. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound right-hander topped out a 101.3 mph with his 4-seam fastball in 2023, while averaging 99.4 mph with the pitch across his 5 outings. He made the D-backs Opening Day roster and was optioned to Triple-A Reno on April 12.

Vargas originally signed with Cleveland as an international free agent on June 2, 2016. He was traded to Arizona on Nov. 15, 2022 in exchange for RHP Ross Carver. He has appeared in parts of 4 minor league seasons in the Guardians and Diamondbacks organizations, going 12–10 with a 4.82 ERA (101 ER, 188.2 IP) with 97 walks and 185 strikeouts in 90 games (24 starts).

Suárez, 32, hit .232 (139×598) with 68 runs, 29 doubles, 22 home runs, 96 RBI, 2 stolen bases and 2 walks, while reaching base at a .323 clip and slugging .391 with a .714 OPS in 2023. He was 1 of 4 players in the Majors last season to appear in 162 games, joining Matt Olson, Juan Soto and Marcus Semien. In 2 seasons with Seattle (2022–23), Suárez hit .234 (267×1141) with 53 home runs, 183 RBI, 143 walks and 410 strikeouts.

Suárez is a veteran of 10 Major League seasons with Tigers (2014), Reds (2015–21) and Mariners (2022–23), batting .248 (1154×4661) with 650 runs, 206 doubles, 13 triples, 246 home runs, 730 RBI, 537 walks, 1,442 strikeouts and 30 stolen bases in 1,313 career games. The 5-foot-11, 213-pound infielder made his Major League debut with the Tigers on June 4, 2014 at Toronto and was originally signed by Detroit as an international free agent on Oct. 9, 2008 out of Venezuela.

Jensen, 25, appeared in 43 games (6 starts) in 2023 between Double-A Tennessee, Triple-A Iowa and Triple-A Tacoma in the Cubs and Mariners organizations, going 2–8 with a 5.32 ERA (38 ER, 64.1 IP), 54 walks and 78 strikeouts. The 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander was claimed off waivers by Seattle from the Chicago Cubs on August 8, 2023.

The Salinas, California native was selected by Chicago-NL in the 1st round (27th overall) of the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Fresno State University. In 86 minor league games (49 starts), he is 7–19 with a 4.49 ERA (106 ER, 215.2 IP), 138 walks and 247 strikeouts.