The Mariners have reportedly signed first baseman Rangel Ravelo to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, per reporter Francys Romero.
Ravelo, 31, was a sixth-round pick by the White Sox in the 2010 draft. He made his major league debut with the Cardinals in 2019 and appeared in parts of two seasons with the club, slashing a combined .189/.250/.351 in 84 plate appearances. After initially signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers ahead of the 2021 season, Ravelo departed stateside ball to play for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Orix Buffaloes in Japan after slashing .407/.504/.758 in 26 games with LA’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Unfortunately, Ravelo’s two-year stint in Japan did not go well, as he hit just .169/.308/.231 in 78 trips to the plate with the Buffaloes. He returned to stateside ball in 2023 after signing a minor league deal with the Padres last winter. While he did not appear in the big leagues, Ravelo hit well in 59 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in El Paso, producing a .310/.428/.473 slash line across 258 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, Ravelo’s 2023 campaign was evidently cut short by injury as he was placed on the IL near the end of June and spent the remainder of the season on the shelf.
The addition of Ravelo provides the Mariners with some non-roster depth at first base and DH after the club elected earlier this month to non-tender slugger Mike Ford, who took the lion’s share of DH at-bats for Seattle last year. While Ravelo has largely played first base throughout his lengthy professional career, it’s worth noting that he’s seen occasional playing time in left field in recent years, making him at least a plausible depth option for a club that figures to mix and match between the likes of Cade Marlowe, Sam Haggerty, Dylan Moore, and Taylor Trammell in left field next season as things stand.
Another yawn.
No really important offseason news yet from the Mariners.
But some will be coming along soon, I believe.
Waiting for the Winter Meetings.
(Put Fred Park down as hoping we get Lourdes Gurriel, Jr.)
Diputo will use him to trade for Jian Soto.
Is Jian the distant relative of Juan Soto? This guy alone might be enough for Jian.
aragon-They can’t afford Ohtani. How are they going to afford Soto.?
Because Soto will cost about half the price that Ohtani does.
The Guardians were 2nd runner-ups.
Ok Fred when we trade Miller or Woo for 2 young controllable (cheap) borderline MLB players will you still feel enthused about this team? Just be prepared to be disappointed again by this regime…
Pass.
World Series!
DONE with this joke of a team. Go Braves!
Is this news (filling out the minors) worse than no news? Some of you are unbearable. You wouldn’t even know this signing happened if MLBTR didn’t report it.
True, we wouldn’t know if it wasn’t reported. Even if this is just a player they’ll stash in the minors, it’s Mariners news.
Grew up a fan of both. Born in Washington. Moved to Georgia as a kid then back to Washington. Always wished for a Mariners/Braves world series.
Another guy I don’t understand. Why would a team think he needs another look?
They didn’t sign him to give him an opportunity, they signed him to fill out the AAA roster.
Why not fill out AAA with a younger player? Are first basemen becoming hard to find?
They still have Evan White, who is allegedly healthy and ready for spring, and Tyler Locklear fast on the rise.
You’re stressing this too much man. Every minor league team has guys like this.
We get that Stevil but the problem is the major league team has too many guys like that!
EXACTLY‼️
Apples & oranges. They aren’t signing failed minor leaguers for regular MLB roles and they aren’t signing major league players for minor league roles.
It’s understandable to be concerned with players like Urías, but that’s a far cry from signings like this.
Moore Haggerty Zavala Canzone Cabellero is not my idea of a major league bench. Should be Tacoma bound…
Well, you’re in luck, because there’s only room for four of those names.
@stevil
Except one of those of 5 has to be penciled in as a starter right now….
Don’t forget Trammell and Hummel.
Seriously, they aren’t done. It’s not even December yet.
Plenty of time for more disappointment.
lol im not being real serious. Seattle will add a thing or hopefully 2 to that lineup before the offseason is over. Certainly looks rough as it stands.
And the M’s fans let out a collective cheer…not.
Taylor Trammell is out of options and has had many opportunities. He’s not likely going to be around much longer.
Seattle’s outfield depth is Canzone, Marlowe, DeLoach, Moore, Haggerty, and Hummel.
Joke of a group…
They’re depth. None of them will have regular roles out of spring.
I’d be more concerned about the regulars who don’t play up the middle.
Sadly, I’ll bet 5 peanuts that one of them is in the starting lineup on opening day. You’ll know they’re mine. They’ll be salty from my tears.
If one of them is in the lineup opening day, it would likely be due to a matchup, or the result of an injury.
It’s the guys they acquire for regular roles that concern me.
As our local KEXP radio host always says: You Are Not Alone. Realistically, I think there’s an outcome where both of you guys are correct on where the big Opening Day holes exist.
I’m not making predictions. That’s not my thing.
But we know they still need relievers, a DH, right fielder, and have more bench players than openings.
So, there’s obviously a lot more to come. Hopefully some upgrades as well.
The Braves should take a flyer on Trammell. Local boy who could maybe use a fresh set of eyes looking at him. He might be able to fill their LF vacancy on the cheap.
And Spencer Packard! He’s probably the best of the bunch, after Canzone.
Another sub 200 hitter for a team desperately in need of high average proven hitters.
I have one very big issue with Dipoto (and I’ve always stood behind him but now…..), if your going to get rid of Suarez do it after you have that firepower replaced either with another third baseman or outfielder, or DH or whatever.
We went into this off season needing to ADD to our offense not just get higher contact hitters and if Dipoto thinks any different he’s WAY off base. If they say they needed to dump Saurez now because the market was moving in the direction and then find replacements later I think it’s total BS.
After jettisoning Teo, Geno, and Murphy the team only has around 72 homeruns to make up for…not to worry. Mariners can become a sort of “slap n’ run” sorta team. Let’s take baseball back to 1912 in Seattle.
Everybody will hit like Ichiro! (They hope)
I talked about that on the blog a few days ago. You’re forgetting Ford, but yes, the four gave Seattle 72. They got another 10 from Pollock, Trammell and Wong. About half their HRs came from guys who are either gone, or not expected to stick around.
But to be fair, Suárez showed a real drop in power and Teo was only hot for two months of the year.
Their hope likely relies on Kelenic and Canzone doing more (and a healthy Moore), plus whatever they get from their future DH and right fielder, not moves like this.
I don’t think the Mariners could have found a more inconsequential non-entity to sign to a minor league contract. You might as well sign the peanut vendor or the Mariner Moose. How does a guy like this even register on anybody’s radar in that front office…somebody in that FO has way too much time on their hands. SMDH !
I was just thinking how does an inconsequential deal like this come together. Seems much more likely that the players agent was feeling around for an opportunity rather than the team knocking on Ravelo’s door. It’s crazy how bad things have gotten for M’s fans that we just feel sad and frustrated by minor unimportant moves like this getting announced after the Geno trade and the 54% and the everything else. Bleak times,
No man not really. People always go on about the stupid 54% comment but nobody ever mentions the fact that Dipoto apologized for his awkward wordplay and lame attempt at humor and explains in follow-up comments what he actually meant. Dipoto obviously has issues communicating with people in an empathetic way. He’s much more comfortable crunching pitching data by himself because he’s a geek like many Pres of Baseball Opps. I will echo your bleak outlook if at the beginning of ST this roster looks like it does right now. But I guarantee the FO isn’t done rearranging the deck chairs yet on the USS Mariner.
I agree with you. I don’t think Jerry is done rearranging the deck chairs. I just think that he’s going to continue to build slowly from within and while moves may be coming I don’t think they will be major ones. It’s not a bad strategy and it’s exactly in line with what he said he would do. It’s just that his communication issues are clearly creating unnecessary drama in the clubhouse and with the fans. He’s a smart guy and he’s in a tough spot because I also don’t think ownership is willing to increase payroll in a significant way.
Things have gotten so bad that the Mariners made the playoffs two seasons ago and were edged out of them this year by the team that won the World Series. A lot of amnesia around here about the truly awful Mariner days/years/decades of the past. Ravelo pummels Triple A pitching, doesn’t strike out much and he’s on a minor league deal. I’m just glad to finally know that it’s “Rangel Ravelo” and not “Ravelo Rangel” or “Rangelo Ravelo.”
sigh
The frustration for everyone has been building for sure. My comments following the minor league signing had absolutely nothing to do with this signing but rather the building frustration that has reached a boiling point basically since the end of last season and the poor decisions the organization has made since.
Fans and clubhouse were both openly frustrated with Jerry specifically following playoff elimination. The 54% comment was Jerry losing his cool in response to being targeted by all that frustration. He’s been transparent to a fault his entire time here. He’s doing exactly what he said he would do in building a sustainable winner. He’s built one of the strongest farms in the league to do just that. Trading Geno was him giving fans and the clubhouse the middle finger. It’s a pretty toxic front office scenario all around, it wouldn’t surprise me if players starting requesting trades or to learn that Geno himself had requested the trade.
good vibes only, you are 100% right on track.
I’m on the same page as you.
I am very eager for next season already, but I have a hunch they will still add that one more big bat some way or another. Even July would probably be soon enough.
Thanks Fred. I hope you’re right. Even if they don’t add a big bat, I don’t think this team right now is any worse than they were on Opening Day last year. Should be some fun competition for roster spots in Spring Training. You might be right on the July being soon enough, but it won’t be soon enough to wash the bad taste out of everyone’s mouth for how the last few winters have been conducted. All we can do is wait and see at this point.
As a day one M’s fan, I believe they’ll surprise the baseball world and sign Ohtani to the most monstrous contract in sports history. Then Ohtani will break something that will knock him out for the season and part of the next. Then he’ll come back and never be the same. Hey, it’s the M’s!!!
Isn’t Jared Kelenic penciled in in left field?
Sweet, we’re now 54% better.
According to the rumor mill, he was on the radar down in Texas.
He would have been a TEXAS RANGLE !!
46%
I don’t understand why clubs sign 31 yo position career minor leaguers.
Periodic reminder of the time when Jeff Samardzija was traded by the A’s to the White Sox and netted:
–Chris Bassitt
–Marcus Semien
–an okay catcher
–this dude.
Jerry Dipoto said the fans should thank him that the Mariners aren’t spending money to get to the World Series, so thanks again Jerry. Another awesome signing!!!!
This quite the makeover from last year. Dipoto has been guilty to a fault on player development which of course all takes time. If you look at this team, how many have been established veterans that have been starters? They may pick-up a free agent since some money has been freed-up but I can’t imagine them changing their M.O. too include more than a bone thrown our way. It’s better to expect them as propose to trade pitching for hitting so I expect them to follow up on this course of action. If we can give Dipoto any credit it would start and end with the pitching, hopefully he pursues in signing up Snell which would free-up other pitching trade candidates. Pitching may be our viable way out. This another fine mess were in Ollie.
This guy was Oakland A’s top-20 prospect in 2015, after ChiteSox/Samardzija trade! He ranked right up there with Max Muncy, Mark Canha and Chris Bassitt at the time!
There’s some news about France being discussed with the Pirates. So does this news of Rangel suggest anything? Other then backfill for Ford departure? This does seem to take on the meaning of what have you done for me lately. So if you please don’t you have a down year. Along with that the M’s have a lot of filler matter that they will need to sifted threw.