The Seattle Mariners acquired middle infielder Dee Gordon from the Miami Marlins on Thursday for a trio of prospects, two of whom played in the Midwest League during the past two seasons.

Gordon also is a former Midwest Leaguer. He is expected to play center field for Seattle, despite previously playing only 13 games in the outfield — and those were in the Dominican Winter League during its 2013-14 season.

In addition to Gordon, the Mariners get $1 million in international slot money. The Marlins receive three prospects: RHP Nick Neidert (who was considered Seattle’s top pitching prospect), infielder Chris Torres, and RHP Robert Dugger. Neidert and Dugger pitched for the Clinton LumberKings in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Neidert went 7-3 with a 2.57 ERA, 69 strikeouts and 13 walks in 91 innings (19 starts) during the 2016 regular season, and dominated in two of the three postseason games he started for Clinton. (The Great Lakes Loons beat the LumberKings in the Midwest League Championship Series that year.) He split the 2017 season between High-A and Double-A, cumulatively going 11-6 with a 3.45 ERA, 122 strikeouts and 22 walks in 127.2 innings (25 starts).

Dugger went 4-1 with a 2.00 ERA, two saves, 69 strikeouts and 16 walks in 72 innings (22 games/nine starts) for the LumberKings in 2o17. He also made nine starts in High-A this year, going 2-5 with a 3.94 ERA, 47 strikeouts and 16 walks in 45.2 innings for the Modesto Nuts.

Gordon was the Midwest League Prospect of the Year and co-MVP in 2009, when he batted .301 with 3 HR, 35 RBI and 73 SB in 131 games with the Loons.  He also won the skills competition held the night before the MWL All-Star Game that year, using precision throws and bunting accuracy to take the contest at Clinton’s Alliant Energy Field (now Ashford University Field). Gordon received a 2009 MWL All-Star jacket and a Fossil watch as rewards.

(Gordon has two relatives who also played in the Midwest League. His father, former MLB reliever Tom “Flash” Gordon, pitched for the 1988 Appleton Foxes. His half-brother, Minnesota Twins prospect Nick Gordon, played for the 2015 Cedar Rapids Kernels. You can read how they did in this post from 2016.)

Gordon made his major-league debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011. He played four seasons for the Dodgers and three seasons for the Marlins. He led the National League in stolen bases in three of the last four seasons, won the N.L. batting title with a .333 average in 2015, and led the league with 12 triples in 2014.

Cubs sign Chatwood to 3-year deal

The Chicago Cubs signed former Kernels pitcher Tyler Chatwood to a 3-year, $38 million contract Thursday.

Chatwood went 8-15 with a 4.69 ERA, 120 strikeouts and 77 walks in 147.2 innings (33 games/25 starts) for the Colorado Rockies this year. It is worth noting that his road ERA over the last two seasons (2.57) is tied with Washington Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg for second in the National League behind Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (2.16 ERA). He missed the entire 2015 season because of Tommy John surgery.

Chatwood pitched for the Kernels in 2009. He went 8-7 with a 4.02 ERA, 106 strikeouts and 66 walks in 116.1 innings (24 starts).

Cards sign Mikolas to 2-year deal

The St. Louis Cardinals signed former Fort Wayne TinCaps pitcher Miles Mikolas to a 2-year, $15.5 million contract Tuesday.

He pitched in parts of three seasons with the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers before pitching in Japan the last three seasons.

Mikolas went 6-3 with a 2.20 ERA, 13 saves, 78 strikeouts and 15 walks in 81.2 innings (60 relief appearances) for the 2010 TinCaps.