CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians traded first baseman Jake Bauers to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday for a player to be named later, or cash, the team said.
Bauers, 25, hit .218 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI in parts of two seasons with the Indians. He will join the Mariners for Thursday’s game in Detroit and then return to Cleveland for a three-game series starting Friday at Progressive Field.
Seattle named infielder Jack Mayfield for the job of making room for Bauers in its 40-man roster.
Cleveland acquired Tampa Bay’s Bauers in a three-team deal in exchange for infielder Yandy Dίaz and the real Cole Sulser. At the time, Bauers was one of the top 100 contenders in baseball after making his major league debut last season for the Rays, who acquired him from the Padres in a 2014 three-team deal with the Nationals had. Tampa sent cash to Seattle to complete the transaction, which Carlos Santana sent to Cleveland and Edwin Encarnacion to Mariners in December 2018.
Bauers opened the season in the Indians’ 26-man squad after battling for a spot against Bobby Bradley in spring training. Though Bradley’s spring numbers were better, Bauers made the opening day list because he had no options for the minor division. He hit .190 with a .557 OPS, two home runs and six RBI in 43 games while missing 27 times in 113 record appearances.
Cleveland designated Bauers for Saturday’s play when right-handed Blake Parker joined the 40-man squad and Bradley was promoted from Class AAA Columbus.
Bauers did not appear in a major league game during the shortened 2020 season and spent the entire campaign at Cleveland’s alternative training ground in Lake County.
In his first year at the club, Bauers played 96 games as an outfielder and first baseman. He hit .226 with 12 homers and 43 RBI but hit the record 115 times in 423 trips.
Bauers should get a chance with the Mariners either as first baseman or in the outfield. Seattle is hit by injuries in both places and recently sent top outfield contender Jarred Kelenic back to Triple-A after a 0v39 slip.
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