The Mariners announced they’ve designated outfielder Travis Jankowski for assignment. The move opens an active roster spot for corner infielder/outfielder Jake Lamb, who has reported to the club. Seattle acquired Lamb from the Dodgers in the hours leading up to the trade deadline. The M’s 40-man roster count falls to 39.
Jankowski was just claimed off waivers from the Mets on Monday. He made a lone appearance as a Mariner, striking out in his one at-bat. The left-handed hitter worked primarily as a defensive specialist and pinch runner in Queens, seeing action in 43 games but only walking up to the plate on 63 occasions. He didn’t produce much offensively, hitting .167/.286/.167 without an extra-base hit.
The 31-year-old has appeared in parts of eight big league seasons, also spending time with the Padres, Reds and Phillies. He’s a career .236/.319/.310 hitter, showing solid plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills but very little power. Jankowski’s an elite runner who’s capable of playing all three outfield positions, leading clubs to give him opportunities as a fourth or fifth outfielder.
Lamb was already on the 40-man roster, but the Mariners had to designate Jankowski for assignment if they wished to take him off the big league club. As a player with more than five years of major league service time, he’d have the right to refuse any optional assignment to Triple-A Tacoma in favor of a trip to free agency. Seattle will now place him on waivers over the next few days, where another team could bring him aboard if they’re willing to assume the remainder of his $1.25MM salary (approximately $426K) and keep him in the majors.
Who couldn’t have seen this coming? He just isn’t good enough to waste a roster spot on.
“Hold my beer.” – San Francisco Giants
I’m always perplexed when players like Jankowski keep getting major league contracts and opportunities where they’re never good enough or consistent enough to justify a spot in the line up or on the 40-man roster and there are so many guys at Triple-A who’d be light years more valuable on the major league roster while still being relatively bad at the major league level. There are highly valuable players right now who aren’t that great at the major league level and Jankowski is just….
I don’t get how players like him are as successful as they are. Why some guys get a million trillion chances when there’s so much more talent waiting in the minors.
Careful TTO,
Jankowski’s mom is an outspoken Oriole’s fan on this site. She is likely to give you a lecture about GG defense, .380 OBP, and a 92 in speed.
Surprised she hasn’t popped up in these comments yet.
Poor dudes on this site don’t have any idea what’s going on
Such as yourself?
Are you that narcissistic that you believe you know more than every front office of every organization that he has played for? You do realize that your projections of the player you believe he would be with regular playing time are in no way a fact but just your opinion. I would pick another hill if I were you.
We know whats going on. There is a great joke that keeps on giving, and it involves the Jankowski brothers and projecting how the MLB player of the brothers would be a hall of famer in an 80’s lineup, but in modern day has less power than the bat boy.
With life in general?
We have no clue yet you’re here constantly defending the guy that has a 75+ OPS for his career and can’t hit himself out of a wet paper bag.
30 years ago Jankowski would have been a permanent piece on several NL teams. I remember players like Doug Dacenzo that wouldn’t even sniff MLB today. The game was so different back then. Everyone carried one less bullpen arm and an additional bench piece that was always an OF defensive specialist. He would play in just about every game his team was leading in with the manager doing a double switch when the pitcher came to bat after the 6th. Game just doesn’t seem to have the magic it used to. Still the best game though.
I wonder if the Mets will sign him to a minor league deal if he doesn’t get picked up by anyone else? Of course, with Naquin on the roster, there’s less chance of him getting to the majors with them.
Hope it works out that the Mets can get him back at least to the minors?
He’s a solid backup outfielder for a non contender.
He really isn’t though, he’s proven that with numerous organizations now. He’s 31 years old and has a career 75 OPS+ He actually makes more sense as a 5th outfielder – defensive replacement / pinch runner – on a good team that doesn’t need that spot accumulating many PA’s rather than taking up a spot on a bad team that could be used as a tryout spot for an upcoming prospect. Though he really shouldn’t be on either a good or bad team at this point in time; he should spend the off-season thinking about what he wants to do for the next 30 years. If he’s saving his money wisely, he doesn’t have to do much – go spend your life on a beach some place, coach your kids in little league, etc.
Assuming he fails too accrue any more mlb service time, his pension, which he has 21 of 40 credits towards fully vesting, will pay him 128K$ a year when he reaches 62 years of age.
My math was wrong – make that 23 of 40 credits – 140K$ a year at age 62.
He’s a good guy to have as your 26th man
Particularly with the 13-pitcher limit, universal DH and the extra inning runner.
And the hair. You can’t ignore the hair.
Did he get to play in a game first? Mets then Mariners. What is next, Marlins?
Yeah l saw this coming.
He flies but he’s had the injury bug that even the ER-loving AJ Preller thought was too much.
Time to play in Japan…
I didn’t know the Mets DFAd him, he’s good at what he does
Which isn’t much.
I never noticed the Chevron cars at Pac Bell had Giants logos on their grilles. Huh.