The Mariners announced Monday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Sam Tuivailala from the 60-day injured list, thus filling one of the two vacancies on their 40-man roster. Tuivailala will join the MLB bullpen as righties Parker Markel and David McKay are optioned to Triple-A Tacoma, per the club. An additional move to fill the 25th spot on the active roster will be announced tomorrow when the M’s return from today’s off day.
It was less than a year ago that the Cardinals traded Tuivailala to Seattle in exchange for minor league righty Seth Elledge as part of a dramatic midseason roster shakeup. The Mariners were surely pleased to acquire four and a half seasons of a reliever who appeared to have established himself as a solid middle reliever, but Tuivailala suffered a torn Achilles tendon just weeks after being traded and hasn’t pitched in the Majors since.
The now-26-year-old Tuivailala allowed just one run in 5 1/3 innings with Seattle prior to his injury. In 79 1/3 innings from 2017-18, the 2010 third-round pick worked to a 2.95 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 0.8 HR/9 and a 49 percet ground-ball rate. For a team with baseball’s fourth-worst ERA (5.06), the return of a potential long-term option like Tuivailala will be a welcome sight.
This should really help the Ms pull into a playoff spot!
He’ll be auditioning for prospective buyers over the next two weeks.
First it will be good to see how much he can help strengthen the Mariners’ horrific bullpen. He is just 26, and I’m thinking they may wish to keep him around for next year if he’s healthy and can pitch well. That strategy fits better with the rebuild.
Nobody builds around mid-innings relievers. He’ll be arbitration-eligible next season as well., so he won’t likely be cheap when the team is (fingers crossed) actually contending.
If he struggles over the next couple of weeks, I’m sure they’ll hang on to him and reassess in the offseason, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s moved before the deadline.
This bullpen, and pitching staff in general, hasn’t been much fun to watch. I don’t think this team intended to tank, but the team has the lowest winning percentage in the league since the beginning of May, if I’m not mistaken.
At this point, it might not be a bad idea to just let it be and give the unkowns their opportunity. That goes for fielders, too. How Miller isn’t on the big-league club and Williamson still is, is beyond me.
Sorry, I thought you were one of the typical Mariners bashers who like to hang out here. You are also obviously a suffering M’s fan like I am.
Couldn’t agree more about Miller!
My hope is that the GM will go beyond what I see as dumpster diving when it comes to filling out a bullpen. It’s a rebuild, but I would like to see them give the team and it’s fans a bit more confidence that the team can hold a lead (should it occasionally find itself in that position). Tui isn’t the kind of player to build a team around, but if he’s better than what they have now, he can help going forward.
All good. To be clear, my point was that the M’s are likely more than two years out of contention. While the prospect development has been outstanding this year, the MLB players’ progress, hasn’t. Haniger was striking out too much before the injury; Gonzales has regressed significantly (though trending upwards now) and Kikuchi has yet to really adjust.
I think the pitching has set this team back a step. If Gonzales and Kikuchi can’t be number 2 and 3 starters, that’s a problem. I’m less worried about Sheffield, as the mechanical adjustments he made in AA is paying off, but Seattle has been banking on those 3 to look sharp and none of them are frontline starters for now.
Further, some of the key potential free agents have signed extensions and won’t likely be on the market in 2021. Even further, Seager is looking like an albatross contract at this point and there’s still no clear alternative, unless Shed Long slides over to third.
So, my belief is that Seattle is more likely looking at 2022, rather than 2021. That means (if I’m right), they should probably move the entire current outfield (Haniger, when healthy and productive), and focus on finding frontline starters, infielders, and a closer to groom.
I really like Bobby Dalbeck. He’s an underrated third base prospect (from Seattle) who offers excellent defense, power, and can take a walk. Unfortunately, he strikes out a bit too much, though he has cut his kS% by 10 points this season. Right now, he’s kind of like Santana at the plate with less polish, but he’s still young, shouldn’t be tough to acquire (he’s blocked in Boston and they need relievers), and I’m fairly confident that Seattle’s coaches could help him with his discipline even further.
Regarding the closer and frontline starters, I think Seattle will have to buy them on the open market. But that’s why shedding salary has been so important.
Thanks, I’ll check out Dalbeck! I see Gonzales as a 2-3 type, and Kikuchi as a 3. I think you’re right, a frontline starter or two may have to come from outside the organization. I’m high enough on Logan Gilbert to think he could be a 1-2 guy, but I think he may not be in the M’s rotation until the last half of 2021. Even then, unless some really great things happen, I’m thinking 2021 will be pretty encouraging, and 2022 is the next best chance at a playoff.
Excellent input! I’m definitely hoping for an exciting 2021 season, with 2022 being the first true go-for-it year.
Dalbeck has an extremely low BABIP right now, which could help explain the low average, but his OPS is excellent and the defense is stellar. Toolsy players with high floors have always interested Jerry, but Dalbeck has a pretty high ceiling as well.
I really hope Gonzales and Kikuchi look better in the second half. Gilbert has been better than advertised. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he ended up being Seattle’s number 2. But yeah, there’s no true number 1 or ace, so they’ll have to go outside the organization at some point.
Rodriguez is going to be another fun one to watch. He might debut in 2022.
Let’s see if I can spell his name right…
It’s Dalbec. I have no idea why I kept spelling his name with a “k”.
They’ll be in great shape in four seasons. The M’s will be shopping Haniger over the off-season but will probably trade him by next year’s deadline, to the Cubs, Bos, TB, the Cardinals, Pirates, Dodgers etc… I think they trade M Smith, Vogglebach, and a few rp’s next year to officially start the rebuild but if I were them I’d agressively hit fa’s I believed would command decent hauls at the deadline.
The rebuild already started, but I agree that it will probably take another step. I could see Smith getting moved at the deadline and Haniger in the offseason, Santana is probably being shopped as well.
I think Vogelbach is going to be apart of the future, though. Rosters expand to 26 next season, so carrying a strictly DH won’t be such a burden.
I’m also a fan of Vogelbach and I believe he has value in Seattle’s future. He has shown he is a hard worker with a patient plate approach. For those who say he’s not worth keeping because he has such a tough time hitting lefties and is mainly suited to being a DH only, I think it’s too early to dismiss him. He should become a more well-rounded hitter given time and work.
Played against this guy in high school!
Did you at least get a hit off of him?
Thanks, I’ll check out Dalbeck! I see Gonzales as a 2-3 type, and Kikuchi as a 3. I think you’re right, a frontline starter or two may have to come from outside the organization. I’m high enough on Logan Gilbert to think he could be a 1-2 guy, but I think he may not be in the M’s rotation until the last half of 2021. Even then, unless some really great things happen, I’m thinking 2021 will be pretty encouraging, and 2022 is the next best chance at a playoff.