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Dipoto: Mariners To Pursue Shortstops Willing To Play Second Base

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There is plenty of cause for optimism in Seattle. The Mariners finished with a 90-72 record, their best since 2003. They delivered one of the best comeback wins in postseason history on their way to knocking off the Blue Jays in the wild card series. Down the stretch, the club locked up budding presumptive AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez through 2034 and extended two-time All Star starting pitcher Luis Castillo through 2028.

Now, on the heels of a thrilling season, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has indicated that he’s open to making big moves in order to improve what is already a playoff-caliber team.

At the M’s end-of-season media session on Wednesday, Dipoto said that his “great preference” this offseason “would be to land a shortstop that would like to play second base” (relayed by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). Dipoto is likely referring to any of the four “big name shortstops” who project to be free agents this offseason: Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson, and Trea Turner. Each of these four would instantly improve Seattle’s offense, which ranked in the bottom half of all of baseball. All four of the big name shortstops will require multi-year pacts with significant annuals.

The Mariners project to have the payroll capacity to splurge on a top-of-the-market shortstop, should they choose to. In 2022, Seattle ranked 22nd in MLB with an Opening Day player payroll just shy of $104MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. 2022’s figure is significantly lower than some of the Mariners’ recent seasons, during which Seattle was generally less competitive. From 2016 to 2019, the Mariners averaged total payrolls of roughly $150MM, ranking as high as 11th league-wide.

The M’s currently have around $91MM worth of payroll commitments for 2023, per Roster Resource. Though that number will increase as a result of arbitration, it seems likely that Seattle would have the fiscal capacity to sign one of the big four shortstops, even if they attempt to bring back Mitch Haniger, who will be a free agent this offseason as well.

The major caveat in Seattle’s pursuit of a big-name free agent shortstop will be whether or not any of them will accept a move to second base. Dipoto reaffirmed his commitment to J.P. Crawford as the Mariners’ shortstop. He told the media that Crawford, age 27, will “line up for us Opening Day at shortstop and the goal is to find someone to put around him.” Dipoto continued on to state plainly that the Mariners signed Crawford to be a shortstop and that “that’s what we intend to do.”

One could argue the cleanest fit of the four aforementioned shortstops would be Turner, who is the only one of the four to appear in Major League games as a second baseman. Turner was a full-time second baseman as recently as the second half of 2021, when he transitioned to the right side of the diamond so that the Dodgers could accommodate both Corey Seager and Turner after Los Angeles acquired him from the Nationals.

None of Correa, Bogaerts or Swanson has played on the right side of the infield in their careers, although they all have extended experience at the infield’s most demanding position. Trevor Story had also never previously played the keystone, but he agreed to move over in deference to Bogaerts upon signing with the Red Sox last offseason. Whether any of the big four shortstops this time would do so while letting Crawford keep shortstop isn’t presently known, but Dipoto and his staff seem likely to inquire with everyone in that group.

Haniger, meanwhile, will hit free agency after spending the past five seasons in Seattle. M’s general manger Justin Hollander was effusive in his praise for the 31-year-old outfielder and said the organization will remain in contact with his representatives at Apex Baseball (via Divish). At the same time, he noted that Haniger “wants to gauge what else is out there” on the open market during his first trip to free agency.

It’s not the best platform season for Haniger, who missed a couple months with a high ankle sprain. He ultimately appeared in 57 games and hit .246/.308/.429 with 11 homers over 247 plate appearances. That’s above-average offense but a step back from his 39-homer, .253/.318/.485 campaign in 2021. Haniger is eligible for a $19.65MM qualifying offer, but the relative down platform year and the M’s stockpile of controllable outfielders make it seem likely they’ll allow him to hit free agency unencumbered by a QO.

Mariners Notes: Raleigh, Haniger, Santana, Frazier, Flexen

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After 18 tense innings, the Seattle Mariners finally fell to the Houston Astros yesterday in the American League Division Series, having returned to playoff baseball for the first time since the 2001 season. The Mariners, who had been projected by ESPN to finish the 2022 season a hair over .500 with an 82-80 record, showed that 2021 was no fluke, following up their 90-win 2021 campaign by winning another 90 games en route to a Wild Card berth.

Following the game, backstop Cal Raleigh announced to reports that he had been playing with a broken thumb and a torn ligament in his left hand, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. Raleigh had been playing through the thumb injury since early September, but he had not revealed the extent of the injury prior to Saturday’s game. Raleigh announced to reporters that he would see a specialist in the upcoming days to determine a course of action for recovery, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

The second-year catcher had followed up his rookie campaign with a strong .211/.284/.489 slash line in 2022, hitting 27 home runs in 370 at-bats and finishing the season with the eighth-highest wRC+ among all catchers (121), nestled between Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud. An integral cog to the Mariners’ offense, Raleigh was one of four players (minimum 350 at-bats) that had an OPS above .700. Raleigh followed up his impressing regular season with a strong Wild Card showing against the Blue Jays, going 4-for-8 with a homer and a double, but was quieted by the Astros’ pitching, collecting only 1 hit in 14 at-bats while striking out 5 times.

In the wake of yesterday’s defeat, the Mariners’ front office will turn their heads toward the 2023 season and free agency. Long-time Mariner Mitch Haniger, trade-deadline addition Carlos Santana, and Adam Frazier will all be free agents following the World Series.

Haniger entered the 2022 season looking to follow up on his successful 2021 campaign, .253/.318/.486 in 157 games, and reestablish himself as an everyday player prior to entering free agency after missing part of the 2019 season and the entire 2020 season with various surgeries. The outfielder and Mariners avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $7.75MM contract in early April.

However, Haniger would only make appearances in nine games before suffering a right high ankle sprain that kept him on the injured list from late April to early August. Upon his return, Haniger hit a solid .254/.322/.418 in the final 48 games of the regular season (100 at-bats).

The Mariners’ decision regarding Haniger, who turns 32 in December, will be quite complicated. The Mariners boast a crowded outfield headlined by AL Rookie of the Year favorite Julio Rodriguez, with former top prospect Jarred Kelenic, Dylan Moore, former AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis, and Taylor Trammell. Nevertheless, Lewis has struggled to produce at a high level since suffering a right meniscus tear in 2021, and Kelenic and Trammell have both struggled to adjust to Major League pitching.

For his part, Haniger has indicated that he would prefer to remain in Seattle. Following up by saying that he hopes “to be back in a Mariners uniform for sure,” per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com.

Santana, who joined the Mariners from the Royals at the trade deadline, continued to struggle in Seattle, slashing a combined .202/.316/.376 across 131 games. The 36-year-old split his time between DH and first base, accruing 3 Outs Above Average for his work at first. It remains to be seen if the Mariners will opt for a one-player ’old school’ approach at the DH position, or if they will cycle players through the role during the season.

Frazier followed up his All-Star 2021 campaign with a weaker .238/.301/.311 slash line across 156 games in the 2022 season. The veteran, who was dealt to the Padres during the 2021 season, was traded to the Mariners in exchange for reliever Raymond Kerr and outfielder Corey Rosier prior to the start of the 2022 season. Moore, who was previously mentioned as outfield depth, has also manned all four infield positions and could see an increase in infield work if Frazier is not resigned.

Transitioning to the bump, with five quality starters under contract, starter-turned-reliever Chris Flexen’s position with the Mariners will be an interesting story to watch unfold. Flexen began the 2022 season as a starter, pitching to a solid 4.02 ERA in 121 innings before being bumped to the bullpen where he worked to a 1.62 ERA in 16 2/3 innings.

It remains to be seen if the Mariners will opt to keep Flexen in the bullpen, utilize a 6-man rotation, or potentially trade Flexen to improve their offense.

As previously mentioned the Mariners only had 4 players finish with an OPS north of .700 (minimum 350 at-bats). As a team, the Mariners finished with the third-lowest batting average (.230), an average on-base percentage (.315), and an average slugging percentage (.390).

Additionally, if they opt to trade Flexen for offense, the Mariners boast three prospects No. 2 Emerson Hancock, No. 5  Bryce Miller, and No. 7 Taylor Dollard, who have all had strong seasons at Double-A Arkansas.

Forecasting The 2022-23 Qualifying Offers: Position Players

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The qualifying offer has impacted the free agent market for the last 10 offseasons, but it wasn’t clear if there would be an eleventh as Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association engaged in labor talks last winter.  When the lockout was over and the new collective bargaining agreement was finally settled, one sticking point remained — the implementation of an international player draft.  If the union agreed to this draft, the league would have agreed to scrap the qualifying offer system altogether.

However, July’s deadline for a decision on an international draft came and went without any new agreement, and thus the status quo of the QO will remain for the 2022-23 free agent class.  As such, we can now look ahead and predict which players will or could receive qualifying offers from their teams at the end of the season.

A quick refresher on the QO rules.  The qualifying offer is a one-year contract with a salary figure determined by averaging the top 125 salaries of all MLB players.  Last year’s figure was $18.4MM, and it’s safe to estimate that this winter’s QO will be worth somewhere in the range of $18-19MM.  Any free agent is eligible to be issued a qualifying offer unless a) they have received one in past trips to free agency, or b) they haven’t spent the entire 2022 season with their current organization.  For instance, the Padres can’t issue Josh Bell a qualifying offer because Bell was only acquired at the trade deadline.

If a player accepts the qualifying offer, he returns to his current team on that one-year deal in the $18MM-$19MM range.  (The player can also negotiate a longer-term extension with his team after accepting that QO, as Jose Abreu did with the White Sox in November 2019.)  While some free agents have indeed taken the qualifying offer, the large majority reject the deal in search of a richer and lengthier contract.  If a player rejects a QO and signs elsewhere, their new team must give up at least one draft pick and possibly some international draft pool money, while their former team will get a compensatory draft pick in return.

With several prominent names in this year’s free agent market eligible for the QO, let’s look at some of the candidates, starting with position players.

Easy Calls: Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox), Willson Contreras (Cubs), Aaron Judge (Yankees), Brandon Nimmo (Mets), Dansby Swanson (Braves), Trea Turner (Dodgers)

There isn’t much drama in any of these decisions, as these players are all obvious candidates to be issued qualifying offers that will be rejected.  Nimmo is perhaps the only name on this list that rates as a bit of a surprise, yet he has quietly posted strong numbers over his seven seasons in New York, including a quality 2022 campaign.  Most importantly, Nimmo has also stayed healthy, playing in 104 of the Mets’ 113 games — this is already the second-most games played for Nimmo in any season of what has been an injury-plagued career.

Arenado and Bogaerts aren’t guaranteed to be free agents, as either could pass on exercising opt-out clauses in their current deals.  However, Bogaerts is a virtual lock to opt out, and Arenado is having such a great season that he should be able to comfortably top the $144MM he is owed through from 2023-27.  Since Arenado has been vocal about how much he likes playing for the Cardinals, an extension is certainly possible before Arenado even hits the open market, with the Cards perhaps tacking another guaranteed year and more money onto the deal to prevent the third baseman from opting out.

Easy Contract-Option Calls: Tim Anderson (White Sox)

The White Sox hold club options on Anderson’s services for both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, with next year’s option being worth $12.5MM (with a $1MM buyout).  Though he could technically be a free agent, there is zero doubt the Sox will exercise Anderson’s 2023 option, so a qualifying offer is a moot point.

Borderline Cases: Mitch Haniger (Mariners), J.D. Martinez (Red Sox), Jurickson Profar (Padres), Anthony Rizzo (Yankees)

Rizzo’s two-year, $32MM free agent deal with the Yankees includes an opt-out clause after this season, and it would seem like the first baseman (who just turned 33 earlier this week) will indeed test the open market again.  Rizzo’s first full season in the Bronx has seen him hit .224/.342/.504 with 27 home runs, with the fifth-best wRC+ (139) of his distinguished career.  Rizzo’s age, home/road splits, and first base-only status will limit his market to some extent, and draft-pick compensation via the qualifying offer will also make other teams wary.  But, Rizzo was still able to land a multi-year pact last winter coming off a lesser platform year, so he should be able to match or better that pact again.  Rizzo has quickly become a clubhouse and fan favorite in New York, so this could be another situation where a player is convinced to pass on an opt-out due to a contract extension.

Haniger has appeared in only 15 games this season, due to both a high ankle sprain that required a trip to the 60-day injured list, as well as a two-week stint on the COVID-related injury list in April.  He has been on a tear since returning to action last week, but if his numbers settle down, then it seems likely that Seattle won’t issue a qualifying offer.  However, if Haniger continues to mash over the remainder of the season and returns to his 2021 form, the Mariners face an interesting decision.

A late-season hot streak could do enough for Haniger’s market that he might reject a qualifying offer, as since Haniger turns 32 in December, this could be his best shot at a lucrative multi-year deal.  On the flip side, he could still choose to accept the QO, knowing that his checkered injury history could work against him in free agency — Haniger can bank the one-year QO payday and then hope for a full and healthy 2023 season as a better platform for that longer-term deal.  From the Mariners’ perspective, paying around $19MM for Haniger could be seen as a worthwhile investment, especially since the team doesn’t know what to expect from Kyle Lewis and Jarred Kelenic heading into 2023.

Martinez turns 35 on August 21 and is still posting above-average (120 wRC+) numbers, hitting .281/.346/.443 with nine home runs over 422 plate appearances.  That still represents a significant power dropoff from Martinez’s norms, and he has been a DH-only player this season.  Even with the looming threat of losing Bogaerts from the Red Sox lineup, Boston might still pass on issuing a QO to Martinez out a concern that he might accept, since chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom seems to be looking for more flexibility with both the roster and the payroll.

Profar is another less-likely candidate to receive a qualifying offer, even if he is also playing well.  Between good offensive (119 wRC+, 12 homers, .254/.345/.416 over 467 PA) and defensive (+5 Defensive Runs Saved, +1.8 UZR/150 in left field) numbers, Profar has been a 2.8 fWAR player in 107 games with San Diego this season, a nice bounce-back from an underwhelming 2021.  With a player option attached to his 2023 services, Profar can either earn $7.5MM next season or take the $1MM buyout and test the open market.

At the very least, it would seem like Profar will indeed opt out and try to secure a longer-term contract, but it would seem like a reach if the Padres issued a qualifying offer.  Profar will only be 30 on Opening Day, so he could accept the QO to lock in that one-year payday, and then be on track to test the market again at age 31.  Considering the Padres might exceed the luxury tax threshold for the second straight year and will face a lot of free agent decisions this winter, they probably won’t want to risk Profar being bumped into the $19MM salary range.  Profar could be another extension candidate, given president of baseball operations A.J. Preller’s belief in Profar’s ability dating back to their days in the Rangers organization.

Mariners Reinstate Mitch Haniger From 60-Day IL

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In between games of today’s doubleheader with the Angels, the Mariners reinstated outfielder Mitch Haniger from the 60-day injured list.  Abraham Toro was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Haniger has played in just nine games this year, due to both a two-week stint on the COVID-related IL to begin the season, and then this extended trip on the 60-day IL because of a Grade 2 high ankle sprain.  Tonight’s game will mark just the second time Haniger has been able to take the field since April 15.  2022 has been another injury-plagued year for Haniger, who missed over half of the 2019 season and the entire 2020 season due to a ruptured testicle.

Haniger had emerged as a productive bat for the Mariners in 2017-18, and was named to the AL All-Star team in 2018.  Returning from his long layoff last year, Haniger basically picked up right where he left off, hitting .253/.318/.485 with 39 home runs over 691 plate appearances and 157 games in 2021.

A healthy and in-form Haniger is an enormous boost to the Mariners’ chances of finally returning to the postseason for the first time 2001.  It’s probably safe to assume that he’ll get a few extra DH days to ease back into the lineup, but Haniger’s return as the regular right fielder will move Adam Frazier back into full-time second base work.  Julio Rodriguez is still recovering from a wrist injury, but a Seattle outfield featuring Rodriguez and Haniger is a much more daunting challenge for opposing pitchers.

With a little less than two months remaining in the regular season, Haniger will get at least some kind of a platform to post some numbers and add to his market as a free agent this winter.  Between his injury history and his age (Haniger will be 32 on Opening Day), the outfielder will need a big finish to give himself a shot at a lucrative multi-year contract.  With the qualifying offer now back in play for all free agents, Haniger could be an intriguing candidate to receive and perhaps accept a QO, presuming the Mariners are willing to make what would be a $18MM-$19MM investment in Haniger on a one-year deal.

Mariners Notes: J-Rod, Trades, Kelenic

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10:46AM: X-rays were negative on Rodriguez, Jerry Dipoto said during an appearance on “The Front Office Show” on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link).  It doesn’t seem likely that Rodriguez will play in today’s game and the M’s will continue to monitor the outfielder’s status, but the initial test results are “a good portent for the future,” as Dipoto put it.

10:06AM: Julio Rodriguez was hit in the right hand by a pitch in last night’s 5-4 victory over the Astros, and had to eventually leave the contest in the ninth inning.  The rookie superstar was hit in the top of the eighth and he felt good enough to take the field for the bottom half of the inning, though pinch-hitter Abraham Toro replaced Rodriguez for a ninth-inning plate appearance.

X-rays were scheduled for last night, and the results could be a turning point in the Mariners’ season.  A serious injury could sideline Rodriguez for most or all of the remainder of the schedule — a worst-case scenario that would both severely hurt Seattle’s chances of finally ending its postseason drought, and cutting short Rodriguez’s spectacular rookie campaign.

Widely seen as the top prospect in baseball, Rodriguez has hit .271/.334/.482 with 18 homers and 21 steals over his first 401 plate appearances in the majors.  Between his power, speed, and strong center field defense, Rodriguez already looks like one of the sport’s top all-around talents at age 21, and has even drawn comparisons to Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr.

Friday’s acquisition of Luis Castillo is the latest sign that the Mariners are all-in on the 2022 season, and whatever further plans president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto might have would surely be impacted by Rodriguez’s status — if even a 10-day IL trip is required, the M’s could conceivably look to add some outfield depth to fill the void.  Prior to yesterday’s game, Dipoto said the Mariners were “still open to the idea of adding a bullpen arm,” but downplayed the idea of the club making another huge move.

In regards to offense specifically, Dipoto told The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish and other reporters that the M’s were largely counting on internal returns of injured players.  “We view Mitch (Haniger) and the addition of Kyle Lewis last week as the moves that our offense needed.  That being said, we’ll keep our ear to the street in the event that opportunity exists.  It’s just a little tougher to see where that might be,” Dipoto said.

The M’s already gave up quite a bit of land Castillo, though with a deep farm system, Seattle has more to offer in other possible trades.  In a piece written prior to the Castillo deal, Divish cited several young players either already on Seattle’s MLB roster or in their farm system and ranked them on their likelihood as trade chips.  Edwin Arroyo was the highest-ranked member of Divish’s list to be dealt in the Castillo swap, with Arroyo landing in the third tier — dubbed the “it would hurt, but if it’s the right player(s) in return” division.  Since Noelvi Marte was in the fourth tier, Seattle only had to move two of its top 10 young assets to land Castillo in Divish’s estimation, though obviously some of those assets (like Rodriguez or Logan Gilbert) are untouchable or all-but-untouchable.

Jarred Kelenic was once seen as a can’t-move type of prospect, and yet Divish hears from a scout that “the Mariners have made it clear they are willing to trade Kelenic to fill their immediate needs.”  Kelenic has hit only .173/.256/.338 over 473 PA in his first two big league seasons, with 17 homers and 142 strikeouts in that small sample size.  Even as he continues to tear up Triple-A pitching, Divish notes that Kelenic is having trouble hitting breaking pitches in the minors, and MLB pitchers have taken full advantage of his flaw.  There would seemingly be some kind of sell-low aspect to moving Kelenic now, yet the 23-year-old would surely generate plenty of interest in trade talks.

Justin Upton Elects Free Agency

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The Mariners announced they’ve reinstated outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Lewis from the concussion injured list. To clear an active roster spot, they attempted to option Justin Upton to Triple-A Tacoma. As a veteran with well over five years of MLB service, Upton exercised his right to refuse an optional assignment in favor of free agency. In effect, the transaction is akin to a release, as Upton heads back to the open market while Seattle frees a spot on their 40-man roster.

Lewis has missed nearly two months after suffering a concussion in late May. It was the latest in a number of health woes for the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year, who lost the bulk of last season due to a meniscus injury in his right knee. Lingering knee concerns kept Lewis from making his season debut until May 25, and he suffered the concussion within four games of returning. He’ll obviously hope for a lengthier stay now that he’s back with a Seattle club amazingly carrying a 14-game win streak into the season’s unofficial second half.

The 27-year-old worked exclusively as a designated hitter in his four MLB games, but he’s gotten a little bit of work in left field on his latest minor league rehab stint. The M’s have used Carlos Santana as their primary designated hitter since acquiring him from the Royals last month. Right field has primarily been the purview of Sam Haggerty. Seattle will surely be cautious with Lewis’ workload easing him back in, but that duo seems likeliest to see their playing time reduced by his presence. That’ll be even more true when Mitch Haniger makes his return from a high ankle sprain; Seattle’s High-A affiliate announced yesterday that he’d begin a rehab assignment of his own there this weekend.

As for Upton, the move brings a rather quick end to his time in the Pacific Northwest. Released by the Angels at the end of Spring Training, he latched on with the Mariners on a big league deal six weeks into the season. After some time spent working into game shape, he was recalled to the major league roster just over a month ago. That stay didn’t prove fruitful, however, as Upton stumbled to a .125/.263/.208 line with just one home run in 17 games. He didn’t have the benefit of regular playing time, but it was the continuation of below-average production that eventually ended his time in Orange County.

Upton is making $28MM this season on the final guaranteed year of his original extension with the Halos. Los Angeles is on the hook for essentially all of that sum, with Seattle paying him only the prorated portion of the $700K league minimum for his month on the roster. Another club would owe him the same amount if they were to bring him aboard, although Upton seems likely to be limited to minor league offers after struggling with the Mariners. If he wants to continue playing, he shouldn’t have an issue finding a non-roster opportunity.

Mariners Select Marcus Wilson

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The Mariners announced they’ve selected outfielder Marcus Wilson onto the big league roster. He’ll replace Taylor Trammell, who lands on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. Seattle also optioned corner infielder Kevin Padlo to Triple-A Tacoma and recalled utilityman Sam Haggerty to add some defensive flexibility to the bench. In order to create a 40-man roster spot for Wilson, catcher Tom Murphy has been transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL.

Wilson, 25, would make his major league debut if he gets into a game. He’s spent time on a 40-man roster before, having been added to the Red Sox’s roster to keep him from being taken in the 2019 Rule 5 draft. Wilson spent a year and a half on optional assignment to the minor leagues before being designated for assignment by Boston at last summer’s trade deadline. Seattle grabbed him off waivers and kept him in Triple-A for the remainder of last season.

The California native struggled during his initial two months in the M’s organization, leading Seattle to take him off the 40-man at the end of last year. Wilson passed through waivers unclaimed and remained in the system, and he’s spent this season in Tacoma. Through 209 plate appearances, he owns a .209/.336/.469 line with 12 home runs and eight stolen bases. As he has for most of his minor league tenure, Wilson has shown some power, speed and excellent strike zone awareness to work walks at a nearly 15% clip. He’s paired those promising tools with alarming swing-and-miss concerns throughout his time in pro ball, though, and he’s again punched out in more than a third of his plate appearances with Tacoma this season.

Wilson has experience at all three outfield spots but has spent much of this season in right field. That’s where Trammell has suited up for much of the year, putting together a solid .235/.323/.457 showing over 32 games. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old went down with a hamstring strain during last night’s contest. It’s the second time that’s happened to Trammell, as he spent around six weeks on the minor league IL earlier this season with the same injury. Whether his current strain is as severe as the one he suffered in April isn’t clear, but he’ll at least need some time on the shelf.

The Mariners figure to rely on some combination of Justin Upton, Dylan Moore and Wilson to cover right field for the next few weeks. Opening Day right fielder Mitch Haniger has been out since late April after suffering a high ankle sprain. He’s recently begun baseball activities but has yet to embark on a minor league rehab assignment; Haniger has maintained he hopes to be back in the big leagues around the All-Star Break.

Seattle could’ve elected to recall Jarred Kelenic, who was optioned six weeks ago at the time the M’s brought Trammell up. Kelenic has responded with a strong .295/.340/.576 showing in Tacoma, but he’s struck out at an alarming 27.7% rate while only walking at a 5.7% clip. The organization clearly feels the 22-year-old would be better served with continued run against high minors pitching — he’d had only 30 career Triple-A games entering this season — rather than returning to the majors to hold down right field until Haniger is healthy.

Murphy, meanwhile, has been out of action since May 7 after dislocating his left shoulder attempting a tag at home plate. He later suffered a setback, and Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times relayed last week that he’ll require season-ending surgery. That makes today’s IL transfer nothing more than a formality.

It’s an obviously frustrating end to the year for Murphy, who only managed to appear in 14 games. The 31-year-old had performed very well in that limited stretch and looked as if he’d reemerged as a viable #1 option for the Mariners. Murphy had a stellar .273/.324/.535 showing while suiting up in just under half the team’s games in 2019, but he missed the entire following season after fracturing his left foot. Murphy returned last season but managed a less inspiring .202/.304/.350 showing through 325 trips to the plate.

Murphy’s efforts at a bounceback season are cut short by the shoulder issue. He’s playing this season on a $1.575MM salary after avoiding arbitration. The Mariners can keep him around via that process for a final time in 2023. Whether they’ll do so figures to depend on the long-term prognosis for his recovery. Murphy’s abbreviated season won’t earn him much of a raise relative to this year’s modest salary, but it’s possible Seattle looks for a new starting catcher next winter given his recent injury woes.

Mariners Claim Drew Ellis From D-Backs

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The Mariners announced they’ve claimed third baseman Drew Ellis off waivers from the Diamondbacks and optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma. Outfielder Mitch Haniger has moved from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

A former second-round pick, Ellis is a career .248/.352/.455 hitter in parts of five minor league seasons. He’s had brief looks at the big league level in each of the past two years but struggled mightily, mustering a .134/.268/.207 line in 34 games. Ellis has spent the bulk of this season with the D-Backs top affiliate in Reno, where he’d posted a .217/.369/.399 mark in 179 trips to the plate. He walked in a massive 18.4% of his plate appearances with the Aces, but he’s run slightly elevated strikeout totals for much of his career.

The D-Backs designated Ellis for assignment over the weekend, eventually ending his tenure in the organization. The M’s will take the opportunity add a right-handed bat to the upper minors. Ellis is in his second minor league option year, so the team can bounce him between Seattle and Tacoma through the end of next season if they keep him on the 40-man roster.

Haniger’s IL transfer is a formality. He’s been out since April 30 due to a right high ankle sprain. The 60-day window is backdated to his original placement, meaning he’ll first be eligible to return at the end of this month. Haniger isn’t likely to be ready by then anyhow, as his recovery was always expected to linger into July.

Mitch Haniger Likely Out Until July

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Mitch Haniger was placed on the injured list a couple of weeks ago due to a right ankle sprain, with the club not providing an estimate on his recovery period at that time. Haniger himself spoke to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times and gave an update that won’t come as good news to Mariners’ fans, as he might be out until around the All-Star break.

“As far as getting back in games, I think like a rough estimate would be from date of injury is 10 to 12 weeks,” Haniger says. “But at the same time, I’ve heard it can go on the earlier end and I’ve also heard on the longer end.” As Divish notes, that 10-12 week timeline would mean a return to action somewhere in the window of July 10-24, with a rehab stint likely pushing his return to the big leagues another couple of weeks down the road.

This marks yet another frustrating development in the Haniger arc, as he has oscillated between excellent performance and extended absences in his career. Over 2017 and 2018, he hit 42 home runs and slashed .284/.361/.492 for a 134 wRC+. After 63 games in 2019, he fouled a ball off himself and ruptured a testicle, wiping out the rest of that season as well as the next. He returned last year and had a tremendous comeback, hitting 39 dingers and slashing .253/.318/.485, 120 wRC+. This year, he’s been limited to nine games, first by a bout with Covid, followed by this ankle sprain. Incidentally, Haniger thinks one issue might have led to the other, as he tells Divish that he had post-Covid struggles with congestion and pressure in his head, which affected his balance.

For Haniger personally, it’s very unfortunate timing for yet another serious injury. The 31-year-old is in his final year of club control, heading to free agency at season’s end. It seems now that his platform year will be reduced to the last two or three months of the campaign, assuming he can follow the prescribed timeline. Even if he can return to health and play well over the second half of the schedule, teams will no doubt use this injury as a way to try to tamp down their offers.

It’s also quite unfortunate for the team, as their hot start has been largely erased by a rough two-week skid. After going 11-6 in their first 17 games, the club has since gone 3-12 in their last 15 contests, winding up at 14-18. Although Julio Rodriguez has been heating up after a cold start, the rest of the regular outfielders haven’t provided much. Jesse Winker’s batting line is sitting at .202/.313/.275, 86 wRC+. Jarred Kelenic is even colder, with a line of .141/.221/.294, for a 58 wRC+. With Haniger not returning for a few months, that group will need to step up in order to help the team pull out of this recent tailspin. Some help is on the way, however, with 2020 AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis currently out on a rehab assignment and likely returning in just over a week.

Mariners Place Mitch Haniger On 10-Day Injured List

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10:34PM: Haniger suffered a Grade 2 sprain, manager Scott Servais told MLB.com’s George Richards and other reporters.  There isn’t yet a timeline on Haniger’s recovery, as Servais said “we’ll have to wait to see how he responds to treatments and get the swelling down, get range of motion back and see where it takes us.”

3:52PM: Just a day after being reinstated from the COVID-related injured list, Mitch Haniger has been again placed back onto the 10-day IL.  This time, Haniger has been sidelined by a right high ankle sprain.  In the corresponding roster move, outfielder Stuart Fairchild has been called up from Triple-A.

Haniger suffered the injury in his first at-bat last night, rolling his ankle after fouling a pitch.  After hitting a single, Haniger had to be replaced on the basepaths by pinch-runner Abraham Toro.  An MRI was scheduled for today on Haniger’s ankle, but an IL stint seemed likely even if the injury was relatively mild.

If the MRI reveals a more serious injury, Haniger could miss quite a bit of time, which would be a serious setback for both the outfielder and the Mariners as a whole.  Between this ankle sprain and two missed weeks recovering from COVID-19, Haniger has only 36 plate appearances thus far in 2022, so the Mariners have largely been without one of their best hitters.

Another lengthy injury absence also wouldn’t help Haniger’s future market value, as he is slated to hit free agency after the season.  Haniger has been at times mentioned as a possible extension or trade candidate for the M’s, though the possibility of a trade would seemingly diminish if this high ankle sprain keeps him sidelined for most or all of the pre-deadline period.  Haniger is unfortunately no stranger to the IL, having missed over half of the 2019 season due to a ruptured testicle, and then all of the 2020 season due to surgeries related to a torn adductor muscle.

The Mariners have Jesse Winker, Julio Rodriguez, and Jarred Kelenic lined up as the starting outfield, but all three have struggled badly to begin the 2022 season.  Kyle Lewis is still working his way back from knee surgery, and was expected to see mostly DH duty until his knee is fully back up to strength.  Between Lewis’ health and the fact that neither Rodriguez or Kelenic have done much of anything at the MLB level, Haniger’s veteran bat was seen as a big stabilizing force in Seattle’s outfield.

Utilityman Dylan Moore figures to get more playing time with Haniger out, plus the Mariners could use Adam Frazier in left field rather than at second base.  Billy Hamilton and Steven Souza Jr. are two familiar veteran names at Triple-A, but most immediately, Fairchild will now get another look at the big league level.  Fairchild made his Major League debut by playing 12 games with the Diamondbacks in 2021, and the Mariners acquired Fairchild earlier this week after the D’Backs designated Fairchild for assignment.

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