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Pirates Sign Michael A. Taylor

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March 16: The Pirates officially announced Taylor’s signing today, and placed Moreta on the 60-day IL to create room for the outfielder on the 40-man roster. Moreta’s move to the IL is hardly a surprise after a ligament injury his elbow sidelined him for the foreseeable future earlier this month.

March 15: The Pirates are making a late addition to their outfield. Pittsburgh is reportedly in agreement with center fielder Michael A. Taylor on a one-year, $4MM contract. The outfielder is a client of the ALIGND Sports Agency. Pittsburgh has not yet announced the move and will need to open a spot on their 40-man roster once the deal is finalized. They may be able to do so by moving Dauri Moreta to the 60-day injured list.

Taylor, 33 later this month, has long been a defensive standout in the big leagues. He debuted back in 2014, giving him a decade of experience to this point. In that time, he has racked up 72 Defensive Runs Saved, 55 Outs Above Average and a grade of 41.1 from Ultimate Zone Rating. Each of those numbers place him in the top 11 among outfielders in that span.

Though he’s now into his 30s, he has continued to put up positive numbers in those categories, with 5 DRS, 8 OAA and 2.8 UZR last year with the Twins. He’s played all three outfield positions but the vast majority of that playing time has come in center: 6,428 innings up the middle compared to 373 1/3 in left and 162 2/3 in right.

His hitting has been less straightforward, as he has generally provided a bit of home run power but with limited on-base ability and some concerning strikeout levels. He’s coming off a year in which he hit 21 homers, a personal best, but his 6.7% walk rate was subpar. His 33.5% strikeout rate was much higher than league average and a personal high, outside of his cup-of-coffee debut in 2014 and an injury-marred 2019.

That led to a lopsided batting line of .220/.278/.442, which translates to a wRC+ of 96. Though that indicates he was 4% below league average at the plate, he also stole 13 bases and provided the aforementioned quality defense. FanGraphs considered him to be worth 1.7 wins above replacement while Baseball Reference had him at 1.9.

It was reported earlier this month that Taylor was viewing himself as comparable to players like Kevin Kiermaier and Harrison Bader. That’s a fairly reasonable comp since those guys are also defensive stalwarts in center field with average-ish offense.

Unfortunately, this offseason has been harsh to the players left standing at this late stage of the offseason. Various clubs have spent to their preferred comfort levels, with many pointing to significant competitive balance tax bills or uncertainty around their TV revenues. As such, various players have recently settled for modest deals that were undoubtedly below their expectations coming into the winter.

Since the start of February, position players like Adam Duvall, Enrique Hernández, Gio Urshela, Tim Anderson, Amed Rosario, Randal Grichuk, Joey Gallo and others have signed for guarantees of $5MM or less. Kiermaier and Bader each got $10.5MM around the New Year but Taylor lingered on the open market and will have to settle for a deal well below that.

Taylor drew fairly widespread interest this winter, with clubs like the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Reds, Dodgers, Angels, Padres and Twins connected to him at various points throughout the offseason. But many of those clubs went in different directions as time went on. The Jays brought back Kiermaier, the Red Sox traded for Tyler O’Neill, the Dodgers got both Enrique and Teoscar Hernández, the Angels added Aaron Hicks and the Twins grabbed Manuel Margot from the Dodgers.

In the end, it will be the Pirates who will be the beneficiary of Taylor staying on the market for so long. Last year, the Bucs moved Jack Suwinski from being primarily a corner outfield guy to center field. The results were mixed, as he was graded as being 10 runs below average by DRS but three above by OAA, while he got a mark of -1.7 from UZR.

That move pushed Bryan Reynolds into left field but now perhaps Taylor’s signing will push Suwinski over to right field. Coming into today, the Bucs had a muddled mix of options for right field, including Connor Joe, Edward Olivares and Joshua Palacios. Joe can play a bit of first base and may platoon with Rowdy Tellez there, while Olivares and Palacios each have options and could either be on the big league bench or in the minors. The Pirates were connected to Tommy Pham earlier today but that is presumably off the table now with Taylor in the fold.

It’s also possible to envision some platoon possibilities in the outfield, with Taylor hitting from the right side. Taylor has hit .256/.310/.436 against lefties in his career for a wRC+ of 99, but the split was even more drastic last year, as he hit .252/.313/.602 versus southpaws for a wRC+ of 146. Suwinski, a lefty swinger, has a .234/.344/.488 slash in his career against righties but just .164/.263/.300 against righties. Those splits lead to wRC+ numbers of 125 and 57, respectively.

How manager Derek Shelton plays it remains to be seen, but the addition of Taylor at a modest price certainly upgrades the club’s outfield defense. Taylor isn’t an amazing hitter but was great against lefties last year and has real pop in his bat when he makes contact, plus an ability to steal a base here and there.

The move brings the Pirates’ payroll commitments to just over $85MM, per RosterResource. That’s the lowest payroll in the league apart from the actively-moving Athletics, but it’s nonetheless a jump for the Bucs. Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, they opened last year at $73MM, which was itself a jump from the two years prior.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the Pirates had reached agreement with Taylor on a one-year, $4MM deal.

A’s Designate Angel Felipe For Assignment

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After finalizing a one-year, $2.5MM contract with J.D. Davis, the Athletics announced that they have designated Angel Felipe for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old right-hander recently underwent Tommy John surgery, and he will sit out for the entirety of the 2024 season.

Felipe made his big league debut with the A’s this past summer. In 14 appearances (15 IP), he recorded 19 strikeouts but gave up 13 walks. While he allowed only six hits – five singles and a double – his control problems led him to give up seven earned runs. This was a common theme throughout his time in the minors, as well. Felipe knows how to induce groundballs and limit home runs, but his poor command comes around to bite him more often than he’d like. With all that being said, it’s worth mentioning that Felipe gave up three of his walks and three of his earned runs in his final appearance on August 14. He went on the IL with an elbow injury the next day and would not pitch for the rest of the season. Had his elbow recovered over the winter, he would have been a candidate for Oakland’s Opening Day roster.

Instead, Felipe will sit out until some point in 2025. Given his injury status and lack of prospect pedigree, there’s a good chance he passes through release waivers unclaimed. Oakland could have freed up a roster spot for Davis by placing Felipe on the 60-day IL instead of designating the young hurler for assignment. However, by taking this route, the team avoids having to pay Felipe a major league salary. Presumably, they took those potential savings into account when they offered Davis a contract.

Orioles Claim Peyton Burdick

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The Orioles have claimed outfielder Peyton Burdick off of waivers from the White Sox, the team announced. He has been optioned to minor league camp. Baltimore had an open spot on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move was necessary.

Burdick first joined the Orioles in February, but they designated him for assignment five days later upon trading for reliever Kaleb Ort. The White Sox scooped up the outfielder but DFA’d him themselves following the Dylan Cease trade, as they needed to make room for both Jairo Iriarte and Steven Wilson on the 40-man roster.

The Marlins selected Burdick in the third round of the 2019 draft, and he made his MLB debut with Miami three years later. Across 46 games in 2022 and ’23, the righty batter hit .200/.281/.368 with five home runs, two stolen bases, and -0.4 FanGraphs WAR. Power was his carrying tool throughout college and the minors, but he has yet to tap into his raw power at the major league level. Instead, he has demonstrated a strong proclivity for strikeouts, striking out in more than one-third of his plate appearances and whiffing on more than one-third of his swings.

Burdick’s performance this spring didn’t help his chances with the White Sox; he has gone 1-for-14 with five strikeouts, no walks, and one hit-by-pitch. However, the Orioles clearly see something they like in the 27-year-old. Baltimore has plenty of outfield depth on the roster, but Burdick offers the team another right-handed bat and another option for the big league bench if the Orioles would rather their more promising youngsters get everyday playing time at Triple-A.

Cardinals Notes: Gray, Middleton, Center Field

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New Cardinals ace Sonny Gray will throw in a “simulated pregame situation” on Sunday as he works his way back from a hamstring strain, according to John Denton of MLB.com. If all goes well, Gray could be ready to pitch in the team’s opening series against the Dodgers from March 28-31. However, manager Oliver Marmol told Denton that he has not yet decided on his Opening Day starter. That suggests the skipper isn’t optimistic about Gray’s availability for the very first game of the season.

The AL Cy Young runner-up in 2023, Gray signed a three-year, $75 million deal with St. Louis this winter to be the club’s new No. 1 starter. If he were at full strength right now, there would be no questions as to who would take the ball on Opening Day. Ultimately, however, the Cardinals won’t care who makes the symbolic game one start as long as Gray is healthy enough for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

In a much less positive injury update, right-hander Keynan Middleton will be shut down for 10 days as he nurses a forearm strain in his pitching arm (first reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). While Gray was the Cardinals’ biggest free agent acquisition for the rotation, Middleton was their biggest free agent acquisition for the bullpen. As Marmol told Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, this “will obviously set [Middleton] back several weeks,” essentially guaranteeing that he will start the year on the IL. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, St. Louis plans to be without the righty for at least the first two weeks of the season.

Middleton was a strong middle reliever for the White Sox and Yankees last year, pitching 50 2/3 innings and putting up a 3.38 ERA. He has spent time on the IL in almost every season of his career, and 2023 was no exception; he missed most of September with a shoulder injury. Still, his 51 appearances were his most in a season since his 2017 rookie campaign. He also posted a career-high 30.2% strikeout rate (his previous career average was 22.1%), a career-high 56.6% groundball rate (his previous career average was 32.9%), and ranked among the top 10% of pitchers in hard-hit rate and average exit velocity, per Baseball Savant. As a result, he finished with a 3.71 xERA, the lowest of his career.

While the Cardinals will hope Middleton doesn’t miss too much of the regular season, they will have to consider new bullpen options in his place. Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, Andrew Kittredge, and JoJo Romero are locks for the Opening Day roster, while Andre Pallante is a safe bet as well. After those five names, Denton mentions Riley O’Brien, Nick Robertson, and Rule 5 draft selection Ryan Fernandez as contenders for the final three spots in the ’pen. Woo suggests the team has also considered a six-man rotation, which would mean running with a seven-man bullpen.

On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals have a decision to make in center field. As Tommy Edman continues to deal with pain in his wrist after offseason surgery, he will not be on the Opening Day roster. Dylan Carlson might have seemed like the obvious choice to fill in for Edman, but Marmol told Denton that the starting job in center field is still up for grabs. Carlson is a contender, but so are prospects Victor Scott II and Michael Siani.

Scott is the No. 83 prospect in baseball, according to both Baseball America and FanGraphs. He boasts incredible speed and plays phenomenal center field defense. Siani has a similar skill set but doesn’t have the same upside, which could end up helping his case to win the job; the Cardinals will be less inclined to rush Scott to the major leagues. Siani also has an edge because he is already on the 40-man roster. Carlson has better offensive abilities than either of the rookies, but he’s coming off a disappointing season at the plate. Moreover, while he is a capable defensive outfielder, both Scott and Siani have elite defensive potential. If Marmol isn’t convinced Carlson can figure things out at the dish, he might prefer to prioritize defense up the middle.

Gerrit Cole Recommended For Non-Surgical Rehab On Elbow

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March 16: Cole will be shut down for the next three to four weeks before re-evaluating his condition, the Yankees ace told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. He added that it is too soon to determine a date for his return (per Hoch). The reigning AL Cy Young winner is nursing some nerve inflammation and edema, which he is planning to treat with “rest and recovery.” He does not anticipate getting any PRP injections.

March 14: The Yankees and their fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post report that defending AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole is expected to avoid surgery after further evaluation on his ailing elbow. The recommendation is for a treatment program of rest and non-surgical rehab.

Heyman and Sanchez report that Cole is expected to be out for roughly one to two months. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that the timeline for a return to MLB action should be closer to 10-12 weeks. In either case, surgery isn’t on the table at present and the Yankees should get their ace back within the season’s first half.

That was the initial expectation. Team doctors reportedly identified the issue as elbow inflammation and concluded that Cole’s ulnar collateral ligament was intact. He nevertheless visited noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache for additional testing today. It seems that in-person evaluation confirmed the initial indication that Cole has not sustained any UCL damage.

It’s a positive development given the concern any time a pitcher, especially one at Cole’s level, heads for an MRI on his throwing elbow. Still, the Yankees are going to have to navigate the early portion of the schedule without him. If the timeline checks in closer to 10-12 weeks, he probably wouldn’t make his season debut until June. There’s a chance he winds up on the 60-day injured list.

There’s obviously no way to replace a pitcher of Cole’s caliber, but his absence puts additional pressure on the rotation depth. Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman and Nestor Cortes project as the top three arms in the season-opening rotation. Clarke Schmidt is penciled into the fourth spot. There’s not a clear #5 starter at the moment. Prospect Clayton Beeter is on the 40-man roster, as are Yoendrys Gómez and Luis Gil. The latter two were optioned to minor league camp in the first week of March, suggesting they’re a bit further down the depth chart. Chase Hampton and Will Warren are not on the 40-man roster, but they’re upper level starting pitching prospects with more advanced control than Beeter has shown in the minors. Luke Weaver has plenty of starting experience and returned to the Yankees via $2MM free agent deal. He’s coming off a 6.40 ERA season.

The Yankees could benefit from adding veteran stability to the back end. They recently checked in with Michael Lorenzen, arguably the #3 starter still on the free agent market. Lorezen certainly doesn’t have the upside of either of the top two unsigned pitchers, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, but he’d come at nowhere near the cost. That’s an obvious concern for a franchise that would pay a 110% tax on further spending.

If New York expected Cole to miss the entire season, perhaps that’d have increased their urgency to land one of Snell or Montgomery regardless of the money. That seems less likely with the Yankees anticipating Cole’s return in late May or early June, but a mid-tier arm like Lorenzen or Mike Clevinger could remain in play.

NL Pitching Notes: Senga, Ferrer, Rockies

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Kodai Senga has yet to pitch in a game this spring. The 2023 All-Star and Rookie of the Year runner-up is nursing a right shoulder strain. Although Andy Martino of SNY reported on Wednesday that “the word” on Senga’s health remained “very positive,” an update on Friday afternoon from Tim Healey of Newsday Sports is a little less optimistic. Initially, Senga was to be shut down for three weeks. Those three weeks have now passed, but according to president of baseball operations David Stearns, the 31-year-old “won’t throw for another 7-10 days.”

This setback likely removes any hope that Senga would return to the Mets rotation before the end of April, but an early May return is still on the table. Presuming he needs about six weeks to stretch out his arm, the righty could be back on the mound by the first week of May if he starts throwing again next weekend.

Needless to say, the Mets are hoping their ace misses as little time as possible. Senga made 29 starts last season, finishing second among qualified NL starters with a 2.98 ERA. Jose Quintana, who made just 13 starts in 2023, gets the Opening Day nod in his place, while Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Adrian Houser, and Tylor Megill are likely to round out the rotation.

More pitching updates from the National League…

  • The Nationals have shut down Jose A. Ferrer as the southpaw nurses a teres major strain (per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports). He will not pitch for at least three weeks. Ferrer, 24, made his MLB debut last season, appearing in 39 games out of the bullpen for Washington. Although his 5.03 ERA and 17.6% strikeout rate were unimpressive, he induced plenty of weak contact on the ground. Only a handful of NL relievers had a higher groundball rate or a lower barrel rate, per Baseball Savant. Ferrer was a strong candidate to make the Nationals’ Opening Day roster, and his injury leaves Robert Garcia as the only healthy left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster.
  • According to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post, right-handed pitchers Dakota Hudson and Peter Lambert are the two favorites for the fifth and final spot in the Rockies starting rotation. Hudson, who spent the first six years of his career with the Cardinals, has more major league experience and a recent track record of moderate success. He has made 38 starts over the past two years with a 4.78 ERA. Lambert, who made his debut with Colorado in 2019, has started just 32 games in his career, pitching to a dismal 6.38 ERA. Even accounting for the different run environments at Busch Stadium and Coors Field, that’s a stark difference. That said, Hudson is more of a proven quantity at this point in his career, while Lambert could still have some of the upside that made him a fringe top-100 prospect before his rookie season. Hudson seems like the leading contender, but there’s a reason Lambert remains in the conversation.

Jim McAndrew Passes Away

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Jim McAndrew, a former major league pitcher for the Mets and Padres, has passed away, according to Jay Horwitz, vice president of media relations for the Mets. McAndrew was 80 years old.

While McAndrew may have been overshadowed by Hall of Fame teammates Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan, he was a dependable back-end starting pitcher, and occasional reliever, throughout his time in Queens. Across 146 games with the Mets (105 starts), the Iowa native went 36-49 but pitched to an estimable 3.54 ERA. He was a member of the 1969 World Series champion team, and although he did not pitch in the postseason, he helped the Mets win the NL East that year, tossing 135 innings with a 3.47 ERA.

The following year, McAndrew pitched what was arguably the best season of his big league tenure. He made a career-high 27 starts, crossing the 100-strikeout threshold for the first and only time. Even more impressive, he maintained the lowest walk rate of his career. The 6-foot-2 right-hander threw nine complete games, three shutouts, and to top it all off, he earned two saves in five relief appearances. McAndrew had a difficult season in 1971 but bounced back in ’72, finishing 11th among qualified NL starters with a 2.80 ERA. He went 11-8 that year, adding another four complete games to his career tally. Unfortunately, the righty struggled again the next season, and as was the case in 1969, he did not pitch in the playoffs for the 1973 NL pennant-winning club.

After nine years in the Mets organization, six spent with the big league team, McAndrew played his final season for the Padres. He retired in 1974. Although his last MLB season was marred by injury, he still managed to throw one more complete game, bringing his career total up to an even 20.

McAndrew’s son Jamie, one of four children he shared with his wife Lyn, played two years in Major League Baseball. A right-handed pitcher like his father, the younger McAndrew pitched for the Brewers in 1995 and ’97. We at MLB Trade Rumors send our sympathies and condolences to McAndrew’s family and loved ones.

Astros In “Serious Pursuit” Of Blake Snell

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The Astros are facing various questions around the health of their rotation and are now in “serious pursuit” of Blake Snell, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

At this point, it’s unclear if any kind of deal is close but it’s a noteworthy development and resembles an earlier situation for the Astros. Back in January, their bullpen took a hit when Kendall Graveman required season-ending shoulder surgery. Astros general manager Dana Brown initially downplayed the club’s desire to go out and sign free agents to address the problem but the club signed closer Josh Hader a few days later.

In the intervening two months, a lot has changed with the rotation. The Astros already knew that Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis García Jr. were going to be starting the year on the injured list, as both underwent elbow surgeries last summer, but this spring has seen a couple more dominos fall. Justin Verlander has been slowed by some right shoulder soreness which doesn’t seem terribly serious but it delayed him enough that he’ll start the season on the injured list. Earlier today, José Urquidy departed his start early due to some pain in his right elbow.

If Urquidy needs to miss time, then the Opening Day rotation would project to include Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier and Hunter Brown in the front three spots. J.P. France was also slowed by a shoulder issue this spring but seems to perhaps be on track to take over a spot at the back end. That would still leave one rotation spot open and Houston is a bit thin in terms of options to step in there.

Ronel Blanco has just 58 1/3 innings of major league work on his ledger and was only recently moved from being a primary reliever to more of a swing role. Brandon Bielak has a 4.54 ERA in his 174 1/3 innings but with uninspiring peripherals, including an 18.9% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate. Shawn Dubin has just nine innings of major league experience.

It seems the club is considering a notable strike in free agency to get out of this injury hole, similar to their move to grab Hader after Graveman went down. Brown again downplayed the club’s desire to add pitching, including Snell, though that was before Urquidy’s injury surfaced.

Some may question whether Snell is ready to help a club like the Astros since he hasn’t been pitching in official spring games and Opening Day is less than two weeks away. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Snell recently threw 60 pitches over four simulated innings to try to get ready outside of official Spring Training contests. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com relays the same info, adding that scouts from the Giants and Astros were in attendance.

Snell has lingered on the open market far longer than anyone anticipated coming off a Cy Young season. He turned in a 2.25 ERA over 180 innings with San Diego a year ago. He surely envisioned a long-term pact at the start of the offseason, but a deal to his liking has obviously yet to materialize. At this point, it looks as if he’ll follow in the path of Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman and turn to a short-term guarantee with opt-outs. Rosenthal and Rome report that he is believed to be seeking a three-year guarantee with a $30-32MM annual salary that would allow him to test free agency after each of the next two seasons.

The cost for the Astros would go beyond whatever it takes to get Snell to sign. They’re into luxury tax territory. RosterResource calculates their 2024 CBT number around $256MM. A contract anywhere near Snell’s expected price would vault them beyond the $257MM second penalization and the third threshold at $277MM.

Houston did not exceed the competitive balance tax a year ago, however. Unlike some other reported Snell suitors (most notably, the Yankees), the Astros are not facing exorbitant fees as repeat payors. They’d be responsible for a 20% tax on their next $1.3MM in spending, followed by a 32% tax on the following $20MM ($6.4MM) and a 62.5% hit on the ensuing $20MM. Signing Snell to a contract with a $32MM average annual value would come with an approximate $13.3MM tax bill for this year.

A Snell signing would also deal a small but not completely insignificant hit to the farm system because he rejected a qualifying offer from the Padres. The Astros forfeited their second-round pick (#64 overall) in the upcoming draft and relinquished $500K of international signing bonus space to sign Hader. They’d need to surrender another $500K from the international pool and their third-round pick (#102) for Snell. Meanwhile, pushing past the $277MM luxury threshold — which would be all but assured for a Snell signing — would move back Houston’s first-round pick in the 2025 draft by 10 spots.

Cardinals Extend Manager Oli Marmol

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The Cardinals announced a two-year contract extension with manager Oli Marmol on Friday afternoon. The deal covers the 2025-26 seasons and ensured that Marmol, who had previously been slated to enter the final season of his current contract, will not operate as a lame duck.

Still just 37 years old, Marmol has managed to a 164-160 record since taking the reins following the team’s surprising dismissal of former skipper Mike Shildt. That includes a 93-69, division-winning performance in his debut managerial campaign, as well as a 71-91, last-place finish in 2023.

Marmol has spent his entire baseball career in the Cardinals organization. The Cards selected him with a sixth-round pick back in 2007, but Marmol’s minor league career lasted only four seasons before he moved into a coaching role within the system. He rose through the minor league ranks, coaching and managing at multiple stops, before being added to the Cardinals’ big league coaching staff as their first base coach for the 2017 campaign. Marmol held that job for two seasons before becoming Shildt’s bench coach for the next three years.

Marmol has, at times, drawn criticism for his handling of players. He and since-traded outfielder Tyler O’Neill clashed early last season when Marmol publicly called out O’Neill for not hustling home from third base. O’Neill took exception both to the substance of the comment as well as the public nature of the quip, suggesting that any conversation on the matter “could have been had in-house” and that the situation “should have been handled a little differently in my opinion.” Marmol also publicly stated early in the season that Willson Contreras would be removed from the starting catcher’s role — a decision that was reversed just a week later. O’Neill said in an appearance on Foul Territory earlier this year that he and Marmol grew to respect one another “at an arm’s length” and that his time with the club ended “on good terms” (video link).

Cardinals brass clearly doesn’t view last year’s disappointing results or the public spat with O’Neill as a reflection of Marmol’s ability (or lack thereof) to steer the team in the long term. He’ll now be locked up through the 2026 campaign, not only offering the team some stability but avoiding the lame-duck status that would have him routinely fielding questions and speculation about his job security throughout the upcoming season.

MLB.com’s John Denton was first to report that Marmol had signed an extension.

Royals Acquire Natanael Garabitos From Mariners

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The Royals announced they’ve acquired minor league reliever Natanael Garabitos from the Mariners. He is the player to be named later to complete the January trade that sent infielder Samad Taylor to Seattle.

Garabitos, 23, signed with the Mariners as an amateur out of the Dominican Republic back in 2019. He has pitched in the lower levels of the minor leagues since entering pro ball. Garabitos has posted big strikeout numbers but walked far too many hitters. That continued at Low-A Modesto in 2023, where he issued free passes to 17.3% of opponents. The 6’0″ righty struck out 30.2% of batters faced while allowing 4.02 earned runs per nine through 40 1/3 innings.

Last spring, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs listed Garabitos as an honorable mention in his write-up of the Seattle farm system. Longenhagen noted that Garabitos averages around 96 MPH with his fastball but understandably panned his control. He’s a lottery ticket addition to the lower levels of the Kansas City system.

Taylor is trying to grab a utility spot with the Mariners. He has appeared in 11 Spring Training contests, hitting .269/.286/.500 over 28 plate appearances. He has hit two homers with six strikeouts and one walk.

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