First baseman Rowdy Tellez has an opt-out opportunity in his minor league deal with the Mariners this weekend, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. He’ll be able to ask for his release on March 23 if he hasn’t been added to the 40-man roster by that point. The team would have 24 hours to add Tellez to the 40-man roster or release him upon him triggering the clause.
Tellez, who just turned 30 on Sunday, has had a productive Cactus League stint with the M’s, slashing .297/.333/.595 with a trio of homers in 39 trips to the plate. In doing so, he’s put himself into the mix for at-bats at first base or designated hitter.
Fellow lefty-swinging slugger Luke Raley is expected to handle the lion’s share of playing time at first base, but the DH spot is less settled. High-priced veterans Mitch Haniger and Mitch Garver will probably get some looks, but both are right-handed and coming off poor seasons at the plate. There’s a potential platoon setup with the left-handed Tellez, and a shoulder injury to Haniger could set him up for an even more prominent role if he makes the club. Haniger hasn’t played in a spring game in 11 days now. Garver has also been a bit banged up, missing a few games after getting plunked in the hand, but he returned to the lineup over the weekend. Garver has been on a tear this spring and has a long track record against lefties; he and Tellez could also form a platoon in the DH spot.
Tellez has the type of power bat that the Mariners have frequently lacked in recent years, as evidenced by a 35-homer campaign with the Brewers back in 2022. However, he doesn’t walk all that often or run well, leading to perennially middling batting averages and on-base percentages. Even in that 2022 power surge, Tellez hit just .219 with a .306 on-base percentage. He’s also struggled in the two years since, posting a combined .231/.295/.385 line in 772 plate appearances. Overall, Tellez is a career .234/.303/.436 hitter in just over 2300 plate appearances in the majors.
If you can’t make the M’s as the starting first basemen exactly where else can you go?
KBO, NPB or Mexican League are always good spots, but I think Rowdy makes the cut. He’s had a great Spring Training, and if he can make it work at T-Mobile Park with even decent production, he’s going to be a boon for them.
Aaron or Bret
Lol for fun these days, Aaron Boone because of the gems he comes up with whenever Jomboy interviews him. Bret had a stretch of like 3 or 4 seasons where he was just torching the ball though.
“Aaron Boone..Jomboy interviews”….Dr. Aaron Boone can’t come to the phone right now. He’s due in post op in 15 minutes and he hasn’t even scrubbed yet.
Yep. His steroid days.
What do you mean steroid days? I have it from a prominent source that he never used steroids. The actual look that he had gained 30lbs of pure muscle was due to the change in his uniform. He wore one 2x too small and had it tailored to make him look bigger. The same trick I use when I go to bars. Amazing what you can hide with well tailored clothes.
And they say the camera adds 15 lbs. Or is that freshman yr and coeds?
Is that like the inflatables that MC Hammer and crue wore bitd ? Or opposite? Can’t touch this
You’re kidding, right?
Not that I want him back in Pittsburgh, but they cut the guy and then gave away a back end starter for a broken down guy in Horwitz
Only with this franchise do you see such things
The Mariners have a lefty first-baseman who had an OPS+ of 129 last year. Raley also played in the outfield last year but seems primed for a majority of 1B reps unless there is an injury. Tellez could start on the roster as a primary DH/pinch hitter if Haniger is on the IL since they aren’t ready to call up any prospects yet. But an OPS+ of 91 doesn’t bode well for a team that values defensive flexibility.
The Mariners stink!
Wait did you get 3 citations to back up your work? Or is this just an opinion. The correct statement is The Mariners Ownership sucks. The team could be really good if they spent some money on the position players they need. A 1st and 3rd bm to be exact. Bring in Bregman and Alonzo and how good would this team be? Our starters are good back ups just not starters.
Raley is the Mariners first baseman. I’m not convinced Tellez is going to stick around. He hasn’t hit for power the last two years and hitting NRIs in spring means little (some of his biggest hits were against weak competition). He doesn’t run well and is extremely limited defensively.
When you consider everything, it really shows how bad Seattle’s offseason was. They were so thin on depth that a last minute NRI has a chance to make the team and possibly get a good chunk of PAs (most likely as the DH).. Imagine if (when) there’s another injury.
That said, Rowdy is likeable. If he makes it, I really hope he is successful.
Just a sad statement that he is the best they could do over a whole offseason. Front office incompetence dictated by ownership constraints.
Soul crushing for Mariners fans.
How is it soul crushing?? Media loves to stir stuff up when a team isn’t making moves so they have something to write about. They’re doing the same with the Cardinals now too. They were doing the same with Baltimore when Elias dismantled the team.
How have the Cardinals’ decisions worked out this past winter? I’d argue that they have been borderline soul-crushing.
Assenine comment, mom…
The Cardinals offseason was exactly the same as the Rangers going into 2021. Waiting out a couple bad contracts while developing prospects. Literally a path every team takes except the Dodgers, Angels, Yankees and Mets. Takes patience and time to win.
MomTurphy-I tend to be an optimistic M’s fan, it’s a byproduct of my personality. Even I was crushed at this team’s offseason. Tbh its not just this offseason. The frustration has come from the culmination of 4 straight offseasons without any significant improvement to the lineup. Keep in mind a rebuild in 2019 preceded those 4 depressing offseasons
It wasn’t caused by the media. It was 100% caused by the Owners changing their 2019 rebuild plans midstream. The angst and the frustration came from us realizing the Owners are okay with not taking advantage of one of the best Rotations in all of MLB. Def the best homegrown rotation (if you include the SEA prospects traded for Castillo) in the history of the Franchise.
Instead of improving the lineup last year they traded away a middle of the order bat just to cut costs ($11M!) and improve their bottom line. No sir “Soul-Crushing” is absolutely the best way to describe how we Mariners fans feel about our 2024/25 Offseason
Poor Rowdy. Guy built himself in MKE and it’s been awful for him since Brewers did him cheap not to mention the Pirates too
Meh……
Haniger is bound to get injured and Garver is also the backup Catcher so there’s opportunities for playing time all around
Pls stay in Seattle or at least in tacoma
Please come to Boston; she said no
You’re the number one fan of the man…from Tennessee?
But he could sell his paintings on the sidewalk.
At a cafe where you hope to be working soon?
At a cafe where the Ms starters will be working at soon.
Fixed it for you
I’m staying here with some friends and they’ve lots of room ….
Man I hope he heads back to the NL. This man torments my Sox.
I’m Tellez(ing) ya that the Mariners need to be Rowdy!!
We’ll take it from wherever we can get it, but I’m afraid he will be another Mike Ford-type stop-gap who ultimately can’t hit enough.
He’s a pawn in a timing arbitrage play. The Mariners are betting that the gap between March 23 and March 28—when rosters finalize—will flood the market with better options (say, a .260/.340/.450 hitter cut from a stacked lineup) at no extra cost, letting them upgrade beyond Tellez’s middling profile without spending a dime now.
Pirates fans can assure you that Rowdy has no middling profile.
He would waddle to first base on long fly balls only to find out that the hit was not a home run.
He was great for two months in the summer.
Awful otherwise.
There is a good reason that he did not get a ML deal.
The Mariners have a solid history of signing .185 hitting big fat guys. Dae-Ho Lee, Daniel Vogelbach, Bucky Jacobsen, and Rowdy Tellez, we salute you with a double quarter pounder with cheese, large fries, and an apple pie. Hail to the, fat Mariners, you’ve kept us out of war!
I don’t know what the hell the M’s are thinking. What about this guy and his -1.2 fWAR the last two years is appealing? It doesn’t make any sense. They have no money but they’re willing to give 1.5 million to Tellez?
Jerry Dip-oto got rid of Teoscar and Suarez due to high strike outs in 2023 season, and then he’s trying to add this guy to the roster?