The Mariners have signed right-handers Taylor Guerrieri and JT Chargois to minor league contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training, per a paid of club announcements.
Now 28 years old, Guerreri once ranked as one of baseball’s premier pitching prospects. The Rays selected him with the No. 24 overall pick back in 2011, and he was considered to be among the game’s 100 best prospects for the next three years.
As is the case so often with promising young hurlers, however, Guerrieri’s development was halted by Tommy John surgery. Guerrieri underwent that operation midway through the 2013 season and missed all of 2014 as a result. He’s battled other arm troubles since that time and, to this point in his career, has only topped 100 innings in a season on one occasion. He was healthy for the 2019 season, splitting the year between the Majors and Triple-A in a relief role with the Rangers.
Guerrieri tossed 28 1/3 innings with Texas that year and another 9 2/3 with the Blue Jays a year prior, but his results at the MLB level haven’t been impressive so far. In 36 frames, he’s been tagged for a 5.50 ERA with nearly as many walks (22) as strikeouts (27). However, Guerrieri was quite good with the Rangers’ Nashville affiliate in 2019, and he’s displayed elite spin on his curveball in limited big league action.
Chargois, 30, was a second-round pick by the Twins back in 2012 and at one point looked like he could be a future closer in Minnesota. He posted dominant minor league numbers with sizable strikeout rates and an upper-90s heater, but Chargois hasn’t yet found his footing in the big leagues. The Rice University product has just a 4.58 ERA in 76 2/3 MLB frames, though his 3.40 SIERA, 26.3 percent strikeout rate and 9.9 percent walk rate are a bit more encouraging. Chargois pitched with Japan’s Rakuten Eagles last year and struggled to a 5.81 ERA in 26 1/3 innings of work in that tiny sample, but he has a lengthy minor league track record of success — including a 1.90 ERA in 85 1/3 Triple-A frames.
jt pitched well for the dodgers when he first came up.
Agree. He did. He fizzled out. However, He has a good live arm.
They are never going to compete for a playoff spot with signings like these!
^ I like this guy.
You will never win a spelling bee with a name like that.
Ragners- you’re right, because players like these who are signed to minor league deals w invitations to Spring Camp rarely crack the roster. They will almost certainly have no impact on the ML team. Most of the time guys like these get cut after 2-3 weeks.
Cool tidbit about Guerrieri, he throws his curveball with his fingers twisted. Like his middle finger and pointer are twisted around each other. It’s a weird grip, but it’s a heck of a curve, so whatever works for him. Fun pickup for the M’s.
I’m trying this with my own fingers and I have large fingers. How does this possibly work out? I wonder where someone learns something like that.
If you try to corner the market in AAAA, high K pitchers; you only need 1 or 2 to pan out to look good.
Go JD!
High spin rate… high ERA… perfect for Dipoto. He loves these guys… for a few minutes until he sees another shiny spin rate.
Well, better than nothing.
That’s not always true.
Thanks.
M’s have great bullpen depth right now. Could probably use one more late inning guy, but can’t complain about the bullpen this year so far.
The bullpen is a mess, but it won’t matter because the starters will make sure of that. Says a lot that Gonzales is the “ace”, as long as thats the case we will continue to lose. (He is a good pitcher but if he’s the 2 then the real ace should be a tall righthanded power pitcher.
The notion that the Mariners will compete for a playoff spot is laughable, afterall there are now 16 teams in the postseason. The thought of being satisfied being a top tier team… in the bottom half of the league speaks volumes about the franchise being so ensconced in losing and embracing mediocrity (or worse).
Thats why Dipoto can slow play this team AND get a second extension because of the comfortability with losing.
Yup as long as they have yet to pitch an inning they’re looking great.
Ugh Just more spaghetti vs wall. Ownership kneecapping dipoto on spending didnt do anyone any favors.
This. No one expected them to make a big splash but there are gaping holes in the line up and they could always use more pitching both starters and relievers. A veteran starter to stabilize the rotation and one of the many late inning relievers that were available. They still could use help at 1B, LF, DH, and 2B. Shed Long, Ty France, and Dylan Moore could all be part of that but they will likely still run out several near replacement positions.
It’s not even about competing, it’s about trying to give the fans something to watch. Lots of 1 to 2 year deals available and they decide to not spend
It’s a team that could have easily added 5 wins to their preseason projection without breaking the bank, without adding more than 2 years to any commitment and without blocking prospects by simply adding 20 to 30 million which if any team is in a position to do, it’s them.
Now they’ll dumpster dive some more. Chris Flexen was a nifty pickup but they need like 5 more of those. And there’s alot of chance that doesn’t work out. Adding veteran players that still project to not be black holes would help.
I dont think it would be easy for them to contend yet but trying to add actual wins increases the odds. I think fans deserve that and loathe how teams are contented with sucking while they “rebuild”
They can sign a SP, and a RP. DFA Marmolejos and perhaps Tapia. At this time the SP will have to be someone like Shoemaker. When the 60 day IL comes active again they can move Munoz to it to open up a spot.
They can wait for a LH hitter to fill Marmalejos’ spot, by checking the waiver wire from now until opening day, or just sign one.
M’s ownership motto “Refuse to win”
The notion that we are going to “compete”, as told by JD and SS is simply lies, but because lies no longer are looked down on and derided it is where they hang their hats.
How can I make a statement like that? Gonzales and anyone else on the Mariners roster manning the 1,2 in the rotation.
I say we are looking at another 90 loss season, but don’t worry JD will get his extension despite losing, losing and losing some more, afterall, this is the Mariners, and they are synonymous with failure and will reward it
(Yes, good farm, now use it to get a top flight pitcher, I mean do SOMETHING that shows you care about the Mariners winning and not about you stroking your ego and wanting to win when you feel like winning.)