The Mariners are wheeling and dealing and landed a veteran bat for their second-half playoff push.
The Blue Jays sent Justin Turner to the Mariners in a deal that came a little more than 24 hours before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. MLB trade deadline, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.
Toronto will get back Double-A outfielder RJ Schreck – Seattle’s No. 29 prospect according to MLB.com – as part of the trade with the Mariners, according to the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish.
Turner will be a free agent at the end of this season and as part of the deal the Mariners will absorb the remaining $6.7 million of his deal, MLB.com reported.
Turner had been pulled from Monday afternoon’s game between the Blue Jays and Orioles in the bottom of the second inning.
The mid-game trade came following reports that the Mariners had shown interest in acquiring Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz, which surfaced on Sunday in a report by The Athletic.
By making the deal, the Mariners add an experienced veteran to their roster who appeared in the playoffs nine straight seasons from 2014 to 2022 during his time with the Dodgers, with whom he won a World Series title in 2020.
During that stretch, Turner hit .270 with a .830 OPS and 13 home runs.
This season hasn’t exactly gone to plan for the Blue Jays or Turner after he signed a one-year deal with Toronto in the offseason.
He’s primarily played the designated hitter role, but Turner has gotten several starts at first and third this year.
Turner has been slashing .254/.349/.371 in 89 games for the Blue Jays and hit just six home runs, but still could be a valuable asset for a playoff-contending team.
The Mariners are sitting 1 ½ games back of a Wild Card spot in the American League and they’re currently tied for the AL West lead going into Monday’s game against the Red Sox.
Schreck was selected in the ninth round of the MLB draft in 2023 and has hit .250/.392/.444 this year between High-A and Double-A