March 23: Tuivailala has cleared release waivers and is now a free agent, Divish tweets.
March 20: The Mariners have placed reliever Sam Tuivailala on release waivers, per a club announcement. That leaves the team with two 40-man roster openings.
Tuivailala was looking to turn in a full season after a torn Achilles shortened both his 2018 and 2019 campaigns. He hadn’t yet appeared in a spring contest when activities were halted.
Over the offseason, the M’s agreed to a $800K arbitration deal with Tuivailala. He’ll still be entitled to 45 days of termination pay, at least in theory. Just how that will be handled given the delay and near-certain shortening of the 2020 season remains to be seen.
Tuivailala, 27, has mostly been quite effective in his MLB career. Through 127 innings, he carries a 3.33 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. He enjoyed some strong results upon his return in 2019, allowing just six earned runs on 13 hits with a 27:11 K/BB ratio.
In his return last year, Tuivailala delivered his fastballs (four and two-seam) more than two miles an hour slower on average than he had previously. But he still sat just under 94 mph. This spring, however Tuivailala had been limited by shoulder fatigue. When last he took the mound, the hurler was working only in the mid- to upper-80s with his fastball, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). That lack off velocity and ongoing concerns surrounding his shoulder quite likely were the primary factors behind the Mariners’ decision.
So much for him being a future closer…
Nobody in Seattle’s front office or coaching staff thought that.
You’re right Stevil. I’ve read an article from a (opinion based) BleacherSports type writer where Tui was suggested as a dark horse candidate for later in the season but nothing from the org or beat writers. Curiously Dunn, G Bautista and Gerber were also dark horse candidates in that article
huh what?
That’s surprising. In MLB the show 20 on franchise mode he became a 84 ovr
Always the best barometer
Same game that forgot that Gavin Liz existed
WHY? I though Tuivailala was a staple in that M’s pen? Please Rangers, go get him now!
BTW: I’m curious, out of Joely Rodriguez, Cody Allen, and the hypothetical Tuivailala pickup, which ones would work out for us? Allen has shown a few spurts this spring, but that’s just spring. J-rod looks nasty. And Tuivailala looks like a back of the pen guy.
If some of those guy work out, the Rangers bullpen could be really, really underrated this season with Leclerc, Montero, J-rod, B. Martin, and Tuivailala. And hopefully Demarcus Evans gets called up, because he’s gonna be great.
He was one of a few automatic BP spots on the roster. So more than likely, his injury is more serious and probably down for year.
Looks like a no brainer sign candidate for literally any team
really now. obviously he has health concerns, but the upside is tantalizing.
I thought so too until I read Tui was topping out at mid-upper 80’s with his FB!
Ya that’s scary. Hope he can bounce back
I don’t understand? Release waivers are similar to being DFA’d, right? Either Tui’s injury is worse than expected or the Mariners BP situation is better than we thought. Or both! I always thought Tui had “good stuff” but he often seemed to walk a tightrope when he pitched- a lot of traffic on the bases, not quite to the level of Juan Nicasio but he was never really as dominant as I had hoped he’d be. That being said, I’m really surprised we’re letting him go. Hasta….
Doesnt make sense on the surface.
He’s out of options. I’m sure they tried to trade him before releasing him. Obviously, they weren’t offered enough rolls of toilet paper. Or anything else of value for that matter.
He may very well clear and wind up back in Seattle on a MiLB deal.
I hope he stays with Seattle. Was really looking forward to watching him pitch this year. Whenever this year happens…
if it was anything besides health or demeanor he woudlnt be gone. its not like he was unplayable in the Majors.
He’ll be ok. Dolphins are going to take him at number 3 in the 1st round.
except dolphins pick 5th not 3rd. if youre gonna make a stupid joke referencing another sport, have knowledge of the sport youre referencing. it would help to have some wit too but one thing at a time
Mommy, mommy the mean lady yelled at me.
Mozeliak will take him back so he, Derrick Goold and Cards81 can tell us what great pitching depth they have. They still haven’t figured out that quantity doesn’t equal quality.
they just won arguably the hardest division in baseball last year, but okay.
Who? The Cardinals? The hardest division? Pass that crack pipe to me, please.
Brewers and Cubs were pretty good, and the Red underachieved but were still a pretty solid team.
6 divisions in baseball. Cards won with 10th best record in baseball. Cubs were a nightmare, and if 12 games under .500 is a “pretty solid team”, then the Reds are awesome! So yes, you’re correct. The NL CENTRAL was a powerhouse. You win. :)
You wont have high records when all the teams are beating up on each other.
@cwizzy, Or more accurately, when all the teams are mediocre.
I’m just tuning out and choosing not to care until next off-season. This rebuild should have taken place 4-5 years ago. The handling of things is unforgivable yet at some point I will need to forgive and forget to remain a fan.
The mariners could keep Evan White down for 3 weeks and gain another year of control. It’s not going to be a 162 game season. It won’t be a 120 game season. They don’t need to burn a full year for a 100 game season.
No they can’t
Sorry, my mistake.
Yeah, no. You must not have been reading the news that past couple of months.
You’re proposing Austin Nola, Vogey and our utility players Lopes and Moore share 1B? Assuming there are games M’s have to address a huge problem this year- getting fans to the park. Young prospects like White and eventually Kelenic and Gilbert will help draw some fans.
I said 3 weeks so Kelenic doesn’t come into the conversation.
Three weeks will do little to impact the attendance. The attendance will be down.
You’re right dude- 3 weeks is a drop in the ocean. It would be wise for White to sit since it gives us more another year.
If there is a MLB season attendance will be a huge problem for the org. No-one will see this the same way considering the previous GM’s have failed miserably with prospect development but I think Kelenic should be up after 3 weeks. I’ve read about and heard scouts and industry experts outside Seattle say he’s not only ML ready right now but some think he’ll be the best hitter on the team. If Gravemann or Taijuan get off to a flying start I’d think hard about trading one or both of them and bring up Logan Gilbert.
We’re not winning a playoff spot anytime soon. It’s easy to visualize this team having a sub.500 record until 2023. I’m prob the only dude who sees it this way but bringing Kelenic and Gilbert up 50 games sooner than projected will get fans in the seats. I know I’ll tune in to see them play.
White signed a long term contract. No reason to keep him down
I hope someone signs him because I finally learned how to spell his name and I would hate for that knowledge to go to waste.
LOL
The A’s
What in the hell are the mariners doing my goodness just let n e ine good that could actually make there team better
To expand on that last paragraph in the main piece:
“The decision to release Tuivailala might seem like a surprise because he seemed like a lock for the bullpen entering spring training. But nagging shoulder discomfort and fatigue, something he battled last season, reappeared early in camp.
“It put him behind in his throwing program and kept him out of Cactus League games. He pitched in a simulated game and struggled. His fastball looked lifeless and straight. Scouts watching the game wondered if he was hurt. His fastball was clocked around 85-87 mph and topping out at 88. In 2018, his fastball averaged 95.6 mph, and in 2019 it averaged 94.7.
“In the days before baseball shut down, it became clear Tuivailala likely would start the season on the injured list or have to be designated for assignment because he was out of minor-league options.”
seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/mariners-make-ros…
As a Brewers fan, I really think that the Brewers should get him as a middle relief guy. Hopefully Corey Knebel comes back and is as effective. With this guy, then Hader, and Knebel we would be great. That is if this guy can still be as good as he is supposed to be. Keeping my fingers crossed.
As a Brewers fan, I really think that the Brewers should get him as a middle relief guy. Hopefully Corey Knebel comes back and is as effective. With this guy, then Hader, and Knebel we would be great. That is if this guy can still be good.
Tui isn’t as good as he was the last 2 years, which is why one of the worst projected bullpens in the mlb let him go. Maybe he can get the velo back but until he does he is not a major leaguer
I wonder why they’d release him now though — I mean yeah his last 2 seasons were decimated by injuries but when he did pitch he was quite effective. You’d think at the very least he’d be a viable depth option — unless he’s still hurt and they don’t think he’ll be able to pitch again this season.
He was only hitting 85-87 mph on the radar gun this spring. He also had shoulder fatigue so maybe he is more injured then let on. I always liked tui, it’s a shame he couldn’t stay healthy.
That being said I don’t think any team will sign him before he has some sort of procedure done on his arm (if he’s really hurt). No one claimed him and his 800k salary either.
There are more vowels in his last name than you can buy on Wheel of Fortune. He must love making reservations for dinner. But seriously, hope he lands well, these situations are tough.
People still make reservations for dinner? Is it 1976?
Not everyone eats at Taco Bell
Many restaurants require reservations. Usually the first thing the hostess says to you, “do you have a reservation?”
No one has ever said this to me. This is a television trope. Restaurants have changed how they do business since the 80s and now can more efficiently streamline seating.
I’ve eaten in prestigious restaurants in NYC, Boston, Montreal, Chicago amongst others and never have I ever made a reservation.
I was just at Yogi Berra’s favorite Chinese place and they do take reservations except that nobody goes there anymore because it’s too crowded.
A’s
Probably because he cost them too many vowels
Let’s go Angels. You need pitching.
Dipoto did this as a favor to the M Play by play guys. 3 of the 4 couldn’t say his name so he released him
I hope the Mariners never acquire another ‘Tui’ player.
Neither Tuivailala nor Tuiasasopo worked out.
he probably shredded his labrum over compensating due to the blown achilles