Mariners swing deal with Boston to get Miley as replacement for Iwakuma

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It didn’t take the Mariners long to replace Hisashi Iwakuma in their rotation.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had not even confirmed signing Iwakuma on Monday when the Mariners moved to acquire lefty Wade Miley and reliever Jonathan Aro from Boston for lefty Roenis Elias and reliever Carson Smith.

Miley, 29, was 11-11 with a 4.46 ERA last season in 32 starts for the Red Sox after spending the four previous years at Arizona. He is guaranteed $15.5 million over the next two years.

Aro, 25, is a right-handed reliever who spent most of last season at Triple-A Pawtucket before making his major-league debut with six appearances in two tours.

“Wade is a proven major-league starter,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said, “who brings a level of stability to the middle of our rotation.”

The price wasn’t cheap.

Smith, 26, compiled a 2.31 ERA last season in 70 appearances and spent part of the year as the club’s closer. Elias, 27, is 15-20 with a 3.97 ERA in 51 games, including 49 starts, over the last two years.

The trade came came less than a day after the Dodgers reached agreement with Iwakuma on a three-year deal for $45 million.

That’s not all.

The Mariners are also showing interest in Milwaukee first baseman/DH Adam Lind, a left-handed hitter who batted .277 last season with 20 homers and 87 RBIs in 149 games.

Lind, 32, is under contract next season for $8 million before becoming a free agent.

The Mariners, by trading Elias to Boston, are still likely to be in the market for another starting pitcher — although Miley’s salary could force them to sift through lower-priced options.

Some possibilities, in alphabetical order, among available free agents:

***Henderson Alvarez: Is drawing heavy interest after being non-tendered last week by Miami. He underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in July but should be ready by opening day or shortly thereafter.

***Doug Fister: A former Mariner, he showed diminished velocity last season after missing time because of a strained flexor tendon and finished the year in Washington’s bullpen.

***Mat Latos: Coming off a down year with the Marlins and Dodgers that began with him having fluid drained from his knee in spring training. But he compiled a 3.34 ERA over the previous six seasons.

***Cliff Lee: A former Mariner, he missed the last year-and-half because of a torn flexor tendon, but he’s now throwing with no issues and looking for the "right fit" to pitch in 2016.

***Colby Lewis: Underwent surgery in mid-October to repair an injured knee after going 17-9 with a 4.66 ERA in 33 starts for Texas. He made just $4 million last year and, at 36, doesn’t figure to get a long-term deal.

***Tim Lincecum: Planning to throw a showcase in January after undergoing hip surgery in October. Giants are believed to want to retain him. Could Mariners lure the Renton native back home?

SHORT HOPS

Former Mariners reliever Mark Lowe, who finished last season at Toronto, is heading to Detroit on a two-year deal for $13 million…None of the 10 finalists from the pre-integration era (pre-1947) were elected to the Hall of Fame by a 16-member committee. The nearest miss was Doc Adams, who is credited with helping to establish shortstop as a position. He died in 1899.

This story was originally published December 7, 2015 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Mariners swing deal with Boston to get Miley as replacement for Iwakuma."