Mariners add Hernández in trade

The Mariners made one of the first big moves of the offseason by acquiring outfielder Teoscar Hernández from the Blue Jays in exchange for two pitchers Wednesday. Fresh off the team’s first playoff appearance in more than two decades, the Mariners added a slugging right-handed bat to their lineup with the acquisition of Hernández and addressed one of their offseason needs by finding a corner outfielder. The 30-year-old Hernández hit .267 with 25 home runs and 77 RBIs in 131 games last season for the Blue Jays and joined Mookie Betts as the only outfielders in baseball with at least 35 doubles and 25 homers. Hernández was an All-Star starter in 2021 and finished that season hitting .296 with 32 homers and 116 RBIs for the Blue Jays. He immediately will slot into the middle of the Mariners’ batting order and could end up being a replacement in right field for Mitch Haniger, who’s a free agent. For now, Hernández is a one-year acquisition by the Mariners. He’s entering his final season of being eligible for arbitration before hitting free agency after the 2023 season.