The Mariners announced that they have claimed left-hander Tayler Saucedo off waivers from the Mets. He was recently designated for assignment when the Mets signed Tommy Pham. In a corresponding move to get Saucedo onto Seattle’s roster, right-hander J.B. Bukauskas was designated for assignment.
Saucedo, 30 in June, was a Blue Jays draftee who cracked that club’s roster midway through the 2021 season. He’s since logged 28 1/3 innings in the big leagues with a 5.40 ERA. He’s gotten much better results in the minors, having posted a 2.11 ERA over the past two years while striking out an incredible 35.7% of batters faced. He’s put up strong ground ball rates in both the majors and minors but the strikeouts are the major difference maker so far as he’s only punched out 15.3% of big league hitters.
Despite the lack of results in the majors to this point, teams seem to be willing to take a shot on Saucedo based on his strong work down on the farm. The Mets claimed him off waivers from the Jays in November but he lost his spot last week with the Mariners now the beneficiary. Saucedo still has a couple of option years remaining and can be sent down to the farm, if needed. He’ll join Gabe Speier and Brennan Bernardino as southpaw relief arms on the club’s roster.
As for Bukauskas, 26, this ends a very short stay on Seattle’s roster, as he was just claimed off waivers from the Diamondbacks two weeks ago. A former first round pick and exciting starting pitching prospect, he struggled with control and was moved to a relief role in recent years. He made 21 major league appearances in 2021 but struggled and posted a 7.79 ERA in that small sample. He’s had much better results in the minors over the past couple of years but hasn’t been able to log significant time due to injuries. He threw 35 minor leagues innings over 2021 and 2022 with a 3.09 ERA, with most of that time spent in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He struck out 27.5% of batters faced while walking 5.8%. That small workload is due to a strain in his throwing elbow in 2021 and a strain in the teres major muscle in his shoulder last year.
The Mariners will now have a week to trade Bukauskas or pass him through waivers. He still has one option year left, meaning that an interested club could put him on their 40-man and wouldn’t necessarily have to keep him on the active roster. Based on that fact, as well as his youth and previous prospect pedigree, it’s possible that he could have a new club yet again before Spring Training kicks off in two weeks.
Just last-minute tinkering.
Special Sauce!
Weird. Lets trade one low quality right handed pitcher for another low quality left handed pitcher..
Our BP coaches have turned those low quality pitchers into some pretty good pitchers. There will be more tinkering in the future.
True, Compassrose.
Also, Dipoto and his crew really don’t do these things without having some kind of a reason.
We need the lefty depth but obviously they seem something in these guys otherwise they wouldn’t bother.
But maybe a slightly better one. Healthier, an additional option year, left-handed, and had somewhat better results both in Majors and minors.
The bullpen has no lefties. That’s why they need to sign Chaffin.
Guess that wont happen. Dipoto said two days ago they arent adding any more to the roster.
Jerry DiPoto knows RP having been one and he likes Mets castoffs for example Chris Flexen and Paul Sewald and others. Still can’t believe the Mets are retaining Darin Ruf and cut Saucedo. We shall see how this evolves. Lol
Don’t blame Jerry. Siri remind him at 1pm to make his daily transaction.
Wish we could use emojis because that one deserves the laughing emoji. Good one.
J.B. Bukauskas sounds like the guy who should replace B.A. Barracus in an A-Team reboot.
Spring training is in 2 weeks!
Wonder if he knew Wong growing up in Hawaii?
Doubtful.
Wong went to Kam High School in Honolulu, and Saucedo played mostly in the state of Washington, after moving around a lot as a U.S. Serviceman’s kid.
Good info Fred. TY
Bukaskas is an interesting prospect. Would be nice to stash him in AAA and see how he transition to the bullpen.
Small sample size warning, but he did pitch pretty good for the D-Backs minor league affiliates last year. I was hoping the Pirates could have snagged him the last time he was DFAd. But he’s one of those players that pretty much all 30 teams would gladly stash somewhere in their organization.
I was hoping Seattle would be that team. Kinda bummed they already gave up on him.
Seems like a million years ago now, but I saw Bukauskus pitch as an 18 or 19 year old for Chatham in the Cape Cod league. 2016 I think.
He was dominating in that game. Mid 90s FB with a wipeout slider and a good changeup. Great control. Iirc he struck out 10, only walked 1 in 5 innings. The team lost but he looked great.
I wonder what happened?
I’m wondering what the pecking order is for those on wavers, and if they have to be place on the 40 man roster to stick.. There must be something. said about exchanging a righthander for a lefty. That extra year of option has to account for something other than being challenge for lefthanded depth.. I have this feeling that Dipoto will keep surfing the waver wire like a prospector looking for a nugget to show up.. Don’t look surprised if he does, he’s done it before.
Tayler is mean-muggin’ in his bref picture.