Analysis: Mariners acquire Jose A. Ferrer for Harry Ford, Isaac Lyon

The first significant trade of the winter by Seattle adds to club's bullpen.

The Seattle Mariners answered a bunch of questions in one trade Saturday, acquiring left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer (no relation) from the Washington Nationals for catcher Harry Ford and right-handed reliever Isaac Lyon.

A bunch, you say? Yes, a bunch.

First and second but not foremost, we now know, yes, the Mariners feel they are better off trading Ford than using him on the 26-man roster to start 2026. It means they’ll be looking for a backup catcher. We’ll get to that in a bit.