Report: Mariners to Acquire Curt Casali from Giants

As reported by Robert Murray of FanSided, San Francisco Giants catcher Curt Casali is heading to the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners have sent back right-handed reliever Michael Stryffeler to complete the deal.

Cal Raleigh has been fantastic for Seattle lately, and he still figures to get the bulk of the playing time behind the plate. Casali will be a strong backup and a big improvement over current reserve Luis Torrens.

Tom Murphy began the season as the team's regular catcher, but he has been on the IL with a shoulder injury since early May. 

Casali has also been on the IL for the past month, but he is set to return soon. Before injuring his oblique, he was having a fine season, posting a 102 wRC+ in 41 games. 

As an added bonus, Casali has experience catching new Mariners starter Luis Castillo. The two were teammates with the Cincinnati Reds.

The Giants will miss Casali's veteran presence behind the plate, but they have depth at the position. Joey Bart and Austin Wynns will get most of the playing time at catcher for the rest of the season.

Seattle sits 12 games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West, and they will be highly unlikely to challenge for the division title this season. However, the Mariners currently hold the third AL Wild Card spot, and they are hoping to stave off teams like the Guardians and the White Sox to earn their first postseason berth in more than twenty years. 

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