One longtime Mariners top prospect (Kyle Lewis) is already on his way to the big leagues, but Greg Johns of MLB.com writes that the Seattle organization is also expected to call up righty Justin Dunn now that his Double-A season has wrapped up. Dunn came to the Mariners alongside outfield prospect Jarred Kelenic and hard-throwing right-hander Gerson Bautista in the trade that sent Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to the Mets.
Kelenic, who has breezed through three minor league levels this season and reached Double-A as a 20-year-old, has garnered the most fanfare of the players Seattle picked up in that deal. But Dunn has elevated his own stock in 2019 and now sits 73rd and 98th on the respective midseason leaguewide prospect rankings from MLB.com and Fangraphs. The 23-year-old has spent the season with Double-A Arkansas, where he’s posted a 3.55 ERA with 10.8 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 0.89 HR/9 and a 37.2 percent ground-ball rate in 131 2/3 innings (just shy of his career-high 135 1/3 from 2018).
Dunn draws praise for a heater that sits in the 93-95 mph range (but can reach a bit higher), and MLB.com’s report on him touts both a slider and curveball that can be average or better offerings for him in the big leagues. Fangraphs notes that he also made some gains with his changeup late in 2018 and has improved his slider command, making him a “good bet” to be a fourth starter at the MLB level. MLB.com touts him as a potential midrotation arm.
Like the aforementioned Lewis, Dunn is a former first-round pick himself and, in fact, was selected just eight picks after Lewis in 2016. Both now figure to make their MLB debuts at the same time for the same team, and they’re not the only candidates who could be brought up to the Majors. Johns lists shortstop Donnie Walton and righty Art Warren as others who could make the jump. Seattle would need to open one spot on its 40-man roster in order to accommodate that final wave of promotions, but everyone from that group will be selected to the 40-man roster this winter anyhow, as they’d otherwise be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
Assuming that group does indeed get the call, it figures to be an exciting glimpse of the future for Mariners fans who’ve endured some rough lows in 2019 — none worse than this past weekend’s 21-to-1 drubbing at the hands of the division-leading Astros. Dunn is the most highly regarded of the bunch, while Lewis is a ways ahead of Walton and Warren, both of whom rank near the back of the Mariners’ top 30 list at MLB.com. All four from that quartet should get opportunities to prove themselves capable as MLB contributors in the very near future.
Told you Dunn and Walton would be called up. White, Thompson-Williams, Kelenic, and Fletcher are coming up.
Also, why are the O’s not calling up Mountcastle?
Another thing, what do you think the Reds are going to do?
Neither White nor Kelenic needs to be added to the 40-man this winter. I doubt we’ll see them. Thompson-Williams, perhaps, but he struck out at a 32% clip and OBP’ed under .300 in Double-A. I recognize that it’s an extremely pitcher-friendly league environment, but I don’t think he’s any kind of lock.
Do you think the Reds could sign a guy like Marcell Ozuna and/or Hyun Jin-Ryu this offseason to stabilize that rotation a little bit, move DeSclafani/Mahle to the bullpen, and, yeah. What do you think the Reds are gonna do?
The Reds are going to move to Montreal and be re-named the Blue-White-and-Reds.
I’m not up to speed on what kind of job the Reds GM has done but I’d hope he’d be fired if he signed Ozuna to stabilize their rotation….
DTW had a .332 OBP on the road (.509 SLG). But DSP suppresses right-handed power more than left-handed hitters. I would be surprised if he was to the 40. He’s probably too far away to justify Rule 5 protection and there are 3 other outfield prospects ahead of him (Fraley, Bishop, and now Lewis). Even Eric Filia is arguably more ready than he is.
You’re right, he shouldn’t be any kind of a lock.
None of those additional guys you list are coming up. Kelenic is playing in the fall league. DTW is not very good. White and Fletcher don’t need to be added this offseason so all you’d do by adding them now is guarantee the use of their first option year in 2020.
Dunn kind of reminds me of an Edwin Diaz, not really with the form and all that, but with what he can do.
Dunn: FB: 60 SL: 55 CB: 50 CH: 45 CO: 50
Diaz: FB: 60 SL: 55 CH: 45 CO: 50
FB: Fastball SL: Slider CB: Curveball CH: Changeup CO: Control
Now, I am not saying Dunn is Diaz. Diaz even started as a starter, then went to a reliever. That could happen to Dunn. If he has some struggles as a starter, you could see him become a bullpen type guy.
Diaz had two pitches- and when he could locate with his FB he was at times ‘unhittable’. I’ll always have a man-crush on him!! I think Dunn will have more success in the rotation than Justus Sheffield- he has better command.
Just out of curiosity:
I was looking at an article for CBS Sports about what the Reds should do this offseason, and they said the Reds should trade Winker for Profar??? Does that make sense at all? You look at Winker, he is hitting .269 at the age of 26. Looking at Profar, he is hitting .218 at the age of 26. How about a different approach to this.
The Reds don’t trade Winker, put him in CF. Then, they slide Senzel into the infield at 2B and re-sign Jose Iglesias. Then, when Jonathan India is ready, they call him up and slide Suarez over to short, where his primary position was for a little while in his minor league career. Look at this lineup if they did that.
C: Barnhart
1B: Votto
2B: Senzel
3B: India
SS: Suarez
LF: Ervin/VanMeter
CF: Winker
RF: Aquino
So much better, right?
And this relates to Mariners prospects…how?
Not a bad idea, but you can’t resign Iglesias to have him as a UTIL/Spot-Starter…
I’m guessing when you put your starters together, you were focused on moving Suarez over, and ended up forgetting about Iglesias..
Either way, I’m not so sure I’d want to put that kind of physical demand on the man who is most likely going to be one of your two best hitters…
With that said, I would most likely end up going with the following:
Some notes from off the too of my head..
Barnhart is awful against LHP
Jesse Winker a good bit better vs. RHP
Ervin is better vs. LHP, but a quality hitter either way..
With that said:
Vs LHP
C. Free Agent C to spell Barnhart
1B. Votto
2B. India
SS. Iglesias
3B. Suarez
LF. Ervin
CF. Senzel
RF. Aquino
VS. RHP
Barnhart Catches
Winker to LF
So, without making any major changes, they should be good if they can just add a Catcher that hits well against LHPs to spell Barnhart. Other then that, they should be able to mix and match a little to maximize their player’s potential…
But, that’s just my opinion, so take it for whatever it is worth to you bud. Hope this helps..Or at least gIves you something to consider..
Do you think the M’s trade either Narvaez and/or T. Murphy this offseason, along with guys like Ryon Healy and/or Kyle Seager? Maybe to a team like the Cardinals, Astros, or Rangers?
Healy will likely be non tendered. Seager is nearly untradeable with the option year guaranteed if traded. I think Narvaez is shopped while his bat is producing as a catcher since his defense is below average.
I’d expect one of Santana or Haniger to be traded (likely the former). They will find a way to move Gordon and they may move Mallex too.
Would prob be a smart move to shop Narvaez- I think you’d receive more in return for him. Cal Raleigh’s rise thru the farm system and the surprising success of Austin Nola and Tom Murphy would certainly allow you to listen to some offers.
I agree with it all except I say trade all of the OF. Surprised the Mariners didn’t try to trade Haniger earlier. If the Mariners “reimagining” is for 2021 then why waste two years of Haniger’s value on a losing team?
It would make more sense to trade him if their window is 2022 and beyond, because Kelenic and Rodriguez will probably be able to contribute (largely) then. If they try to contend in 2021, they’ll need him.
But Haniger was and probably will be available in trade talks, though I doubt the price has came down. He may get Seattle a larger return at the deadline next season than this coming off season is he is available.
I would listen on Haniger but I wouldn’t trade him at a value based on two months this year. I think the better option is to let him play to start the year and then you can revisit come July when guys are closer to ready.
Haniger would have to wait till July trade deadline