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Seattle Mariners

Mariners acquire Justin Turner in trade with Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., left, celebrates with designated hitter Justin Turner, right, after Guerrero’s sixth-inning home run off the Rays’ Zach Eflin in the sixth inning of Thursday’s game at Tropicana Field. (Tribune News Service)
By Ryan Divish Seattle Times

BOSTON – With Tuesday’s 3 p.m. PDT MLB trade deadline looming, the Mariners made yet another move to bolster their lineup.

Just before the team took the field Monday at Fenway Park, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander confirmed the team had acquired veteran infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league outfield prospect R.J. Schreck.

Turner, 39, has 299 plate appearances for Toronto this season, posting a .254/.349/.371 slash line with 17 doubles, six homers, 31 RBI, 39 walks and 60 strikeouts.

He has generated most of those at-bats as a designated hitter. But he has appeared in 11 games at first base and five at third base this season.

Schreck, 24, was recently promoted to Double-A Arkansas after posting a .261/.401/.464 slash line with 20 doubles, 12 homers, 44 RBI, 57 walks and 47 strikeouts in 78 games for High-A Everett.

France dealt to Reds

Ty France won’t be signing a free-agent contract with any team that might be competing with the Mariners for the American League West title or a wild card spot.

The team sent France and cash considerations to the Reds in exchange for minor league catcher Andruw Salcedo.

A MLB source confirmed that the Mariners are picking up only part of what is left on France’s $6.775 million contract with the Reds paying the rest.

After putting France on outright waivers, the Mariners designated France for assignment last week. Per the collective bargaining agreement, Seattle had seven days to trade France. After the seven days, he would’ve been placed on release waivers where he could’ve been claimed by another team.

Had France cleared waivers again, they could have outrighted him to their minor league system. France wouldhave declined that outright assignment due to accrued MLB service time and become a free agent. Signing with the Astros or the Red Sox would’ve been a possibility.

Salcedo, 21, has appeared in seven games during the 2024 season with Class A Daytona.

Signed as an international free agent out of Sincelejo, Colombia, in 2019, Salcedo is in his fourth minor league season in the Reds organization. He posted a .246/.347/.330 slash line over those seasons.