GOODYEAR, Ariz. – One day after the Cincinnati Reds traded Sonny Gray, they continued to tear down their roster by trading All-Star left fielder Jesse Winker and third baseman Eugenio Suárez to the Seattle Mariners on Monday.
In return for Winker and Suárez, the Reds received right-handed starting pitcher Justin Dunn, outfielder Jake Fraley, left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Williamson and a player to be named later.
Lowering player payroll continues to be a driving force in the Reds’ offseason plans. Winker is two years from reaching free agency, eligible for arbitration, and Suárez is owed $35 million over the next three seasons with a $15 million club option in 2025.
Winker, who earned his first All-Star nod last year, was one of the league’s best hitters against right-handed pitching. He hit .305 last season with 32 doubles, a career-high 24 homers and 71 RBI.
Suárez is one of the league’s premier right-handed sluggers, but he’s struggled the past two seasons following shoulder surgery. He hit .198 last year with 23 doubles, 31 homers and 79 RBI.
Dunn, 26, owns a 3.94 ERA in 25 career big-league starts. He struck out 49 and walked 29 in 50 1/3 innings last season with a 3.75 ERA. Fraley, a 26-year-old left-handed hitter, batted .210 last season with seven doubles, nine homers and 36 RBI in 78 games. Williamson was a second-round pick in 2019 and rated as the No. 5 prospect in the Mariners’ farm system by Baseball America. Williamson reached Double-A last year.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suárez traded from Cincinnati Reds to Mariners