Trade News: Mariners acquires Jhonny Pereda while designating Jackson Kowar for assignment

The Seattle Mariners made a smart roster change on January 27, adding catcher Jhonny Pereda of the Minnesota Twins in a cash deal while designating right-handed pitcher Jackson Kowar for assignment. Pereda, 29, who split last season with the Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins, gives the Mariners a lot of depth behind the plate, playing 28 games with a batting average of .246 and an on-base percentage of.325. The Mariners made an announcement purchasing catcher Jhonny Pereda of Minnesota in a cash deal, as the Twins had decided to place the 29-year-old on assignment on January 23. His final batting average was at .246, with a.325 on-base percentage, and no home runs, only knocking in four runs. The Mariners appreciated the veteran’s experience and saw him as a viable player to add depth behind the plate. Minnesota, in the meantime, was rapid in reorganizing its roster by denouncing Pereda from its 40-man roster last week, preferring to turn the situation into a cash refund rather than losing him on the waiver list. Moreover, the deal marks a low-risk move for the Mariners as they continue to tweak their roster, focusing on positional coverage rather than headline-making additions.To open up space to their new catcher, Seattle assigned a right-handed pitcher, Jackson Kowar, to assignment, cutting his stint short in the bullpen. Kowar, 29, posted a 2-0 score with a 4.24 ERA in 15 relief appearances last season. Although Kowar delivered several steady outings, the Mariners opted to prioritize catching depth over bullpen numbers at this stage of the season. The designation he now has gives the club multiple avenues to trade him, waive him, or just release him to the minor league if he clears.The 27 January deal shows that there is always upheaval along the margins of the major-league rosters, as a team balances between depth and flexibility and urgent demands. In the case of the Mariners, the Pereda pickup and Kowar ruling is an indication of another calculated move in the club's moulding of the squad for the future.