The Mariners are getting a first-hand look at how quickly a deadline move can go sideways, and Taylor Ward’s early run in Seattle has been rough. Through eight games, he’s managed five hits in 29 at-bats, with one run scored, six strikeouts, and no home runs, RBIs or walks. His batting average and on-base percentage are both at .172, and there hasn’t been much to dress that up.
Seattle brought Ward in from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline to give a thinning lineup some steadier at-bats. To get him, the Mariners sent three minor-league pitchers - Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling - to Baltimore.
The idea was simple enough: add a hitter who could lengthen the order and offer some patience. Instead, Ward has mostly added more empty trips to the plate.
The power outage is part of the story, though not exactly a surprise. Ward has been short on pop for much of the 2026 season.
What stands out more is the lack of a walk. For a team that needed someone to help calm things down in the middle of the lineup, that’s the piece Seattle can least afford to miss.
A .172 OBP doesn’t do much for the hitters behind him.
It’s still early enough that no one has to stamp the trade as a miss, but the clock is working against the Mariners. Ward has time. Seattle, with the way its season is going, doesn’t have much of it.
Elsewhere, Paul Sewald is moving on again - this time to Toronto. The Blue Jays claimed the 36-year-old reliever off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving him another shot with a club trying to push back into the wild-card race.
For Mariners fans, Sewald’s run in Seattle still stands as one of the stronger success stories from the Jerry Dipoto era. Over parts of three seasons with the club, he posted a 2.88 ERA and saved 52 games before being traded to Arizona in 2023.
The waiver claim doesn’t figure to stir up much regret in Seattle, either. His top years are behind him, and Toronto is taking a low-risk swing on a veteran arm.
Andrew Knizner, meanwhile, has found his way back to San Francisco. The Giants signed the catcher to a major-league contract and designated utility player Eddys Leonard for assignment.
Knizner’s Mariners stint never really got off the ground. Seattle signed him to a one-year major-league deal last offseason to compete for the backup catching job behind Cal Raleigh, but Mitch Garver won that role and Knizner was released before Opening Day.
He had played 33 games for San Francisco in 2025 before later passing through the Mariners, Rockies and Red Sox organizations. Now he’s back with the Giants as a depth option for a team looking for another experienced catcher.
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Mariners Rookie Is Feeling The Pressure As Seattle Weighs Its Next Move
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Chicagos staff has encouraged Castillo to lean more heavily on his changeup, a pitch that had been used less often during his time in Seattle as the Mariners leaned into his fastball. That difference is the uncomfortable part for the Mariners, because it raises the obvious question of whether a small adjustment in approach is enough to help Castillo regain the kind of form Seattle hoped to keep. [Read more 🡒]