Headlines

  • Stuart Sternberg Has Agreed To Sell Rays To Patrick Zalupski, Deal Expected To Be Final By September
  • Nationals Select Eli Willits With First Pick Of 2025 Amateur Draft
  • 2025 MLB Draft, First Round Results
  • Red Sox Place Hunter Dobbins On 15-Day IL Due To ACL Tear
  • Astros Promote Brice Matthews
  • Red Sox Likely To Activate Alex Bregman Tomorrow
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Mariners To Sign Nick Solak To Minor League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | January 30, 2024 at 10:05pm CDT

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.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Seattle Mariners Transactions Nick Solak

Five Potential Trade Fits For Joey Bart
Main
Padres Hire Craig Stammen For Player Development Role
View Comments (20)
Post a Comment

20 Comments

  1. Ignorant Son-of-a-b

    1 year ago

    Jerry is in God Mode, watch out. Anything could happen.

    8
    Reply
  2. rememberthecoop

    1 year ago

    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.

    8
    Reply
    • bhambrave

      1 year ago

      @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.

      2
      Reply
    • MortDingle

      1 year ago

      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)

      Reply
    • StudWinfield

      1 year ago

      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.

      1
      Reply
  3. Rsox

    1 year ago

    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

    Reply
  4. bhambrave

    1 year ago

    I have less than three years service time, and I’m willing to settle for league minimum.

    2
    Reply
    • mlb fan

      1 year ago

      There’s plenty of doctors, engineers and lawyers that don’t make what a “league minimum” baseball player makes.

      1
      Reply
      • Braves_saints_celts

        1 year ago

        I think that’s what he was getting at lol

        2
        Reply
  5. good vibes only

    1 year ago

    My OOTP king

    Reply
  6. Zippy the Pinhead

    1 year ago

    The Nick Nobody Knows.

    Subtitle: So Close and Yet So Far: So Long, Solak.

    Reply
  7. samtb13

    1 year ago

    This guy “So Lacks” a chance …wish it weren’t so but not even sure why this move was made.

    Reply
    • Bookbook

      1 year ago

      After he’s dfa’d he might accept an outright assignment to Tacoma

      Reply
    • dshires4

      1 year ago

      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.

      Reply
  8. oscar gamble

    1 year ago

    Kind of strange that in 2023 he played in one game for two different ML teams without getting a Plate Appearance.

    Reply
  9. Randall Charles

    1 year ago

    Who says no

    Harry Ford + Cole young
    For
    Dylan cease

    Reply
    • dshires4

      1 year ago

      Mariners. Then they block Getz’s number.

      2
      Reply
    • good vibes only

      1 year ago

      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.

      Reply
  10. LordD99

    1 year ago

    He needs a better god-mode.

    Reply
  11. lee cousins

    1 year ago

    Every year is a new year, he needs a self examination of how he can get better since he as languish too long..

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Stuart Sternberg Has Agreed To Sell Rays To Patrick Zalupski, Deal Expected To Be Final By September

    Nationals Select Eli Willits With First Pick Of 2025 Amateur Draft

    2025 MLB Draft, First Round Results

    Red Sox Place Hunter Dobbins On 15-Day IL Due To ACL Tear

    Astros Promote Brice Matthews

    Red Sox Likely To Activate Alex Bregman Tomorrow

    Phillies Reportedly Targeting Controllable Relievers

    Yankees Prioritizing Pitching, Also Searching For Infield Help

    Orioles Trade Bryan Baker To Rays

    Yankees Release DJ LeMahieu

    Trevor Williams To Undergo UCL Surgery

    Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

    Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

    Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Bobby Jenks Passes Away

    Braves Release Alex Verdugo

    Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

    Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

    Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

    Recent

    Travis Jankowski Elects Free Agency

    Twins Acquire Noah Davis

    Orioles Outright David Bañuelos

    Stuart Sternberg Has Agreed To Sell Rays To Patrick Zalupski, Deal Expected To Be Final By September

    Adolis Garcia Drawing Trade Interest

    Poll: Who Will Win The 2025 Home Run Derby?

    Royals Place Michael Lorenzen On Injured List

    Yankees Claim Rico Garcia

    Blue Jays, Joe Mantiply Agree To Minor League Deal

    Submit Your Questions For This Week’s Episode Of The MLBTR Podcast

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Alex Bregman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version