The Mariners are signing infielder/outfielder Nick Solak to a minor league deal, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The CAA Sports client will also receive an invite to major league Spring Training.
Solak, 29, had a tremendous major league debut with the Rangers in 2019 but wasn’t able to maintain it in subsequent seasons. Originally a second-round pick of the Yankees, he was twice traded before getting to the big leagues. The Yanks flipped him to the Rays as part of a three-team trade that sent Steven Souza Jr. to the Diamondbacks and Brandon Drury to the Bronx, then the Rays sent Solak to Texas straight up for Pete Fairbanks.
In the 2019 campaign, Solak crushed in the minors and then carried that over into his first 33 big league contests. He hit five home runs in that time and drew walks in 11.1% of his plate appearances. His .293/.393/.491 batting line amounted to a wRC+ of 126. But his production dipped in the 2020 season and hasn’t recovered. He has made 839 plate appearances in the majors over the past four seasons, hitting 16 home runs and walking at a 7% clip. His .246/.317/.354 slash line in that time translates to a wRC+ of 86.
There were questions about Solak’s second base defense while he was a prospect and the glovework has indeed become an issue. His work at the keystone was graded as subpar and he was pushed into a corner outfield role when the Rangers signed Marcus Semien. That move down the defensive spectrum made his lack of offensive production more of an issue, which pushed him off the roster. He was traded to the Reds going into 2023 but wasn’t going to crack the Opening Day roster in Cincinnati. They designated him for assignment and flipped him to the Mariners, but he went to the White Sox via a waivers a couple of weeks later. As the season went on, he was also claimed by Atlanta and Detroit, the latter club passing him through waivers in August.
For the Mariners, they are likely attracted to Solak’s right-handed bat. Their outfield depth leans left-handed, with each of Luke Raley, Taylor Trammell, Cade Marlowe, Dominic Canzone, Zach DeLoach and Jonatan Clase hitting from that side. Solak has hit .283/.363/.428 against southpaws in his career for a 117 wRC+, compared to a .236/.309/.343 and 78 wRC+ against righties.
That could perhaps allow him to carve out a role on the small side of a platoon arrangement in Seattle. He will first have to earn a roster spot and doesn’t have options in the event he succeeds. But if he manages to both get on the roster and stick, he still has less than three years of service time and could be retained for future seasons via arbitration.
Jerry is in God Mode, watch out. Anything could happen.
The lack of options really hurt a guy like him. So many players are let go when they otherwise might have made a club because they have no flexibility. Options should be negotiable. I know the process was set up to help players. And let’s face it, some players do benefit from it. A club keeps a guy on the active roster so they don’t lose him. But it works against them, too.
@Coop: I like that idea. The player should have the option of accepting another year of options, especially if he gets traded or signs with another team.
Some accuse the Mariners Prez/GM Jerry of signing a team of utility players,,,given the chance, Jerry would form a team of the almost good enough yet not giving up ‘hope’ players…I translate this as a value for the team’s budget…
Naw, lets have guys advance of go home.
We need major league players on major league teams…(steal from Chuck Knox)
The mechanism for opt outs is there. Solak can negotiate them on a minor league deal. For some players with enough professional service time they are mandatory. It’s also possible that he does have such clauses in the contract and it’s just not reported.
At some point your body of work as a professional has to merit the opportunities available to you. What hurts players like him is the monopoly that the professional sports leagues have on their industry. Either you play the “game” or you don’t make a living.
Solak went 1-13 at AAA Tacoma for the Mariners last season before being claimed off waivers by the White Sox and he didn’t fair much better at any of his other stops last season. A strong spring could work in Solak’s favor but more likely another RH OF is added
I have less than three years service time, and I’m willing to settle for league minimum.
There’s plenty of doctors, engineers and lawyers that don’t make what a “league minimum” baseball player makes.
I think that’s what he was getting at lol
My OOTP king
The Nick Nobody Knows.
Subtitle: So Close and Yet So Far: So Long, Solak.
This guy “So Lacks” a chance …wish it weren’t so but not even sure why this move was made.
After he’s dfa’d he might accept an outright assignment to Tacoma
They pretty much tell you in the article… The mariners outfield depth is almost exclusively left handed and this is a guy with a chance at sticking in a platoon rotation.
Kind of strange that in 2023 he played in one game for two different ML teams without getting a Plate Appearance.
Who says no
Harry Ford + Cole young
For
Dylan cease
Mariners. Then they block Getz’s number.
I just dont think Cease makes sense for the M’s given the roster construction. I dont think the offer is too terribly far off.
He needs a better god-mode.
Every year is a new year, he needs a self examination of how he can get better since he as languish too long..