SEATTLE — With the All-Star break looming, the Seattle Mariners made a whirlwind of activity on the transaction wire Thursday.
The most noteworthy move involved Seattle sending left-handed starter J.A. Happ to Class A Bakersfield, while the transaction that should have a much deeper significance was the decision to place southpaw reliever Charlie Furbush on the 15-day disabled list.
The Happ move was, for all intents and purposes, a formality to clear a roster spot for a few games before and after the All-Star break. Seattle has to wait 10 days before calling the veteran back up, and then he will move to the back of the rotation without missing a start.
The Furbush news could be much more important to the Mariners’ short-term success, as he was Seattle’s most effective reliever. If all goes well, Furbush also could be back shortly after the All-Star break — he is eligible to come off the DL on July 23 — but the Mariners will have to depend on inconsistent veteran lefties Vidal Nuno and Joe Beimel until then.
Former closer Danny Farquhar was also brought back, replacing struggling rookie Mayckol Guaipe, while the most interesting promotion involved former top prospect Jesus Montero. The catcher-turned-first baseman, a right-handed hitter, should get at least one start as Seattle gears up to face three consecutive left-handed starters to close out the series against the Los Angeles Angels this weekend.
Montero won’t ever earn back his label as a young phenom, but he was so good at Triple-A that the Mariners are giving him another shot to prove he can hit at the major league level. In Tacoma, he was hitting .332 with 12 doubles, five triples, 15 home runs, 68 RBIs and a .899 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. In six games for Seattle last season, Montero hit .235 with one homer and two RBIs.