MLB Trade: Mariners & Nationals Pull Off Notable Trade

With Cal Raleigh firmly entrenched as the Seattle Mariners catcher for the foreseeable future, the path to the majors was blocked for top catching prospect Harry Ford.

With that, they have traded him to the Washington Nationals in a package for left-handed reliever Jose Ferrer.

Trade news: The Seattle Mariners are acquiring left-handed reliever Jose Ferrer from the Washington Nationals for catching prospect Harry Ford and right-handed pitching prospect Isaac Lyon, sources tell ESPN. First on the scene was @andrewcgolden.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 6, 2025

Ferrer ascended to ninth-inning closer duties for Washington after the team traded Kyle Finnegan to Detroit at the deadline. He wound up with 11 saves and a 4.48 ERA, but the underlying metrics are more promising. Per Baseball Savant, the 25-year-old ranked in the 99th percentile in ground-ball rate (64.3%), the 94th percentile in fastball velocity (97.7 mph average) and 95th percentile in walk rate (4.9%). He also posted a 71:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 76.1 innings.

As for the young catcher Ford, he was the Mariners' No. 1 prospect in 2023, and No. 2 in 2024. The 22-year-old was hitting .283 with an .868 OPS at Triple-A Tacoma this past season, when he got the call-up in September. However, with the Mariners chasing a playoff spot, and Raleigh having a legendary season behind the plate, Ford got into just eight games. He'll now have a full runway to take the starting job in Washington in 2026.