PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired 2020 American League Rookie of the Year outfielder Kyle Lewis from the Seattle Mariners.
ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan first shared the trade news on Twitter Thursday evening. The deal is a one-for-one exchange that sends 27-year-old Cooper Hummel to Seattle.
The D-Backs later confirmed the trade was complete on social media.
Lewis, 27, was an emerging star during the shortened 2020 season, batting .262 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs. He hasn't come close to that level of production since, partly because of a right knee injury, hitting just .143 and three homers last season while spending a big chunk of the year in the minors.
General Manager Mike Hazen envisions Lewis as a corner outfielder because the D-backs are stocked with center fielders like Alek Thomas, Jake McCarthy and Corbin Carroll.
“We felt like he's just a good fit for us,” Hazen said. “Taking a shot at some upside here with the power potential. He's gotten on base when healthy. We feel like this is a good opportunity to acquire some potential impact.”
If Lewis can rebound, he could provide some right-handed power in a left-handed heavy D-backs lineup.
Hummel — who is also 27 — just finished his rookie season, spending time in both the outfield and behind the plate. He hit .176 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 176 at-bats while splitting time between the majors and minors.
The D-backs sent Hummel to the Arizona Fall League to work on his catching after he spent much of the previous few seasons concentrating on the outfield.
12Sports on YouTube
Watch more of the latest sports videos on the 12News YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe!
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.