- AJ Pollock is at the Mariners’ spring camp in something of an unofficial coaching mentorship role, Shannon Drayer of MyNorthwest.com writes. MLB Trade Rumors has learned that Pollock is still exploring his playing options and hasn’t officially retired, though since the longtime outfielder just turned 36, it isn’t a surprise that he might be exploring what’s next once he does decide to hang up the cleats. Pollock played in 49 games for Seattle last season before being traded to the Giants at the deadline, and hit only .165/.215/.308 in 144 total plate appearances. Pollock has an .892 OPS over 422 PA just as recently as the 2021 season, though he had a subpar year with the White Sox in 2022 before his bigger performance dropoff last year.
Mariners Rumors
Mariners’ Jackson Kowar Being Evaluated For Possible Arm Injury
The Mariners’ bullpen has already had its share of injury scares this spring. Fear of a monthslong absence for top setup man Matt Brash has been alleviated with a diagnosis of inflammation in his right elbow, but he’s weeks behind schedule now and will be built up cautiously. Trade acquisition Gregory Santos was shut down for a week earlier this spring due to a lat issue but has resumed throwing and could yet be ready for Opening Day, though that’s contingent on him avoiding any further setbacks of course. Now, Mariners manager Scott Servais tells reporters that right-hander Jackson Kowar is meeting with a doctor tomorrow to have his arm evaluated (X link via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times).
That may not seem like a significant concern, given Kowar’s unsightly big league track record. The former Royals first-round pick and top prospect was traded to Atlanta and then to Seattle in a pair of change-of-scenery swaps over the winter. He’s 27 years old and, in parts of three big league seasons, has yielded more than an earned run per inning (75 runs in 74 frames). He also has a minor league option remaining. On paper, he looked like a long shot to make the team.
But as Divish recently wrote, Kowar has impressed the Mariners in camp. He’s averaged 96.1 mph on his heater in his career but was hitting 98 mph early in camp. Kowar has pitched a pair of scoreless innings, fanned three of his six opponents, and caught the team’s attention with the quality of his changeup. With Brash unlikely to be ready for the opener and Santos also still building up, there was a potential spot for Kowar to claim. Divish noted that he had “seemed to be locking in a spot” before soreness in his arm led to a temporary shutdown. Kowar last pitched on Feb. 28 and is now going for additional testing — an ominous sign.
The Mariners have a knack for unearthing bullpen talent. In the past few years they’ve turned unheralded pickups of Paul Sewald, Drew Steckenrider, Justin Topa, Kendall Graveman, Gabe Speier, Tayler Saucedo and others into impact moves. Their ability to find hidden gems to round out the relief corps has allowed the M’s to perennially field strong bullpens and also to avoid the types of multi-year deals for relievers that often turn into landmines. A few short looks in spring training is far too small a sample to indicate Kowar would be the next bargain find for president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and his staff, but at the very least, the hard-throwing Kowar was trending in the right direction. At least for now, that’ll be put on hold — hopefully only for a brief period.
Already dealing with a trio of arm scares in the bullpen isn’t an enviable spot to be in — particularly since Seattle traded one of last year’s top setup men, the aforementioned Topa, to the Twins as part of their trade to acquire second baseman Jorge Polanco. The Mariners still have one of the game’s most talented closers in righty Andres Munoz, and they can look to lefties Speier and Saucedo to build on last year’s breakout showings to help form a setup corps. Santos could be ready for Opening Day still, and if not, he and Brash may not be delayed all that long.
But the Mariners were already likely to be relying on some unproven arms — Kowar among them. Righty Trent Thornton had a strong showing after coming over from the Blue Jays in a little-noticed trade last year. Flamethrower Carlos Vargas, acquired in the Eugenio Suarez trade, has a significant ceiling but worrying command issues. Swingman Austin Voth has had flashes of big league success but has lacked consistency. Former eighth-rounder Ty Adcock had a solid debut in ’23, but last year’s 15 2/3 innings in the majors were his first experience above Double-A. Offseason pickups of Mauricio Llovera, Collin Snider and Cody Bolton give the M’s some other options, but none are proven at the big league level. Veterans like Heath Hembree, Ty Buttrey and Trevor Kelley are in camp on non-roster deals.
The Mariners likely wouldn’t shy away from late-spring additions, be they via the trade market, the waiver wire or perhaps a late splash for one of the remaining free-agent relievers of note (e.g. Ryne Stanek). Even in the absence (so far) of a major injury, their depth is already being tested a bit.
MLBTR Podcast: The Giants Sign Chapman, Zack Wheeler’s Extension, And Snell And Montgomery Remain
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Giants sign Matt Chapman (2:50)
- Why do the Giants and other clubs keep giving players these opt-out deals? (6:45)
- What is the logic with Chapman and Cody Bellinger settling for these short-term deals? (10:20)
- What’s next for the Giants? Will they trade J.D. Davis? Go after Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery? (13:50)
- Why didn’t the Yankees or Mariners go after Chapman? (17:00)
- Phillies sign Zack Wheeler to extension (18:30)
- Should players focus more on guarantees or average annual values? (20:15)
- Did Shohei Ohtani not push things forward enough for players? (22:15)
- Was Wheeler not concerned about maximizing his guarantee? (25:10)
- What does the future look like for the Phillies? (26:35)
- What’s up with Snell and Montgomery now? Could the Orioles swoop in? (29:35)
- Does the Lucas Giolito news spur the Red Sox to jump on Snell or Montgomery? (31:20)
- What about other dark horses for Snell or Montgomery? (34:15)
- The case for the Brewers being a dark horse (35:55)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Is the late signing by the Boras clients a result of just how the market played out or the strategy of holding out? How does Boras spin this? (39:15)
- Are we seeing the end of the Scott Boras era? Especially with players more to their mid-30s. I’m not sure how you could objectively look at how the offseason has gone for his clients and think it was a win for them. (44:45)
Check out our past episodes!
- How Cody Bellinger’s Deal Affects The Other Free Agents And Why The Offseason Played Out Like This – listen here
- Finding Fits For The “Boras Four,” Which Teams Could Still Spend? And Rob Manfred In His Last Term – listen here
- Jorge Soler, Veteran Catcher Signings and the Padres’ Payroll Crunch – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Mike Zunino Announces Retirement
Former big league catcher Mike Zunino announced his retirement today, via an Instagram post from his reps at Wasserman Baseball. Hat tip to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
“With profound gratitude, I am announcing my retirement from Major League Baseball after 11 seasons,” Zunino says in the post. “As I reflect on my career, I am appreciative of the support of the baseball community and those who have guided me along the way.” He goes on to thank the Mariners, Rays and Guardians, their fans, the MLBPA, team staff and teammates, as well as his advisors, representatives and family members. “While my time on the field has concluded, my passion for baseball remains as strong as ever, and I eagerly anticipate exploring new avenues to contribute to the sport. I am excited to bring what I have learned in the game to the next generation of MLB players, and to give back to the game that has given so much to me.”
Zunino was a trumpeted prospect over a decade ago. He was selected third overall by the Mariners in the 2012 draft, with only Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton going ahead of him. He secured a $4MM signing bonus and, just a few months later, Baseball America ranked him the #1 Mariners’ prospect and the #17 prospect in all of baseball going into 2013. He started that year at Triple-A but was up in the majors by June. He missed some time due to a broken hand and only got into 52 big league games, hitting just .214/.290/.329 in that time.
He got his first full season in the majors in 2014 and showed some of the mixed results that would go on to be trademarks of his career. One of the positives was his glovework, as he posted eight Defensive Runs Saved that year. FanGraphs also considered his framing to be really strong, one of the top five backstops in the majors for the season. On offense, he launched 22 home runs but also had some less-exciting elements. His batting average was just .199 and his on-base percentage only .254, thanks to a 3.6% walk rate. He was also struck out in 33.2% of his plate appearances. His 87 wRC+ indicates his offense was subpar overall but he nonetheless was considered to be worth 3.8 wins above replacement by FanGraphs, thanks largely to the defense.
Over the next couple of years, his struggles with strikeouts and low batting averages continued and he was optioned to the minors from time to time. He seemed to take a step forward in 2017, when he walked in 9% of his plate appearances and hit 25 home runs. But he still struck out at a 36.8% rate and his results dipped again in 2018.
Going into 2019, he had two years of club control remaining but was traded to the Rays as part of a five-player swap. His first season in Tampa didn’t go especially well, as a quad strain and an oblique strain limited him to just 90 games in which he hit .165/.232/.312. In the shortened 2020 season, he missed time due to another oblique strain and and struck out in 44% of his 84 plate appearances across 28 games.
Despite the offensive struggles, the Rays clearly valued his defense and work with a pitching staff as the club went all the way to the World Series in 2020. Zunino reached free agency after that but the club brought him back via a one-year, $3MM deal with a club option for 2022.
He would be in arguably the best form of his career in 2021. The Rays limited his workload to 109 games but he still managed to launch 33 home runs and make the American League All-Star team. His strikeout rate was still high at 35.2% but he also walked at a 9.1% clip. His .216/.301/.559 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 133 and he tallied 4.5 fWAR. That’s just behind the 4.6 fWAR he produced in 2017, though that was in a larger sample of 124 games.
The club option for 2022 came with a base value of $4MM but had escalators that could push it to $7MM if he got into 100 games, which he did. After that monster campaign, the Rays triggered the $7MM option to keep him around but 2022 turned out to be a frustrating year for him. He hit just .148/195/.304 through 36 before landing on the injured list and requiring surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.
The Guardians took a shot on a bounceback, signing Zunino to a one-year, $6MM deal for 2023. But Zunino struck out in 43.6% of his plate appearances and was hitting .177/.271/.306 when he was released in June. He didn’t sign elsewhere in the final months of the season.
Though he clearly had a lopsided profile, Zunino was incredibly skilled in certain areas. He retires with a .199 batting average and .271 on-base percentage, but he launched 149 home runs and racked up 18.3 fWAR thanks to 46 Defensive Runs Saved. He was often cited for his role as a clubhouse leader and could perhaps parlay that skill into future coaching opportunities. Based on his retirement statement, it sounds like he may pursue that line of work at some point. We at MLBTR salute Zunino on a fine playing career and wish him the best with whatever comes next.
Matt Brash Cleared To Resume Throwing Next Week
The Mariners informed reporters today, including Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, that right-hander Matt Brash has medial elbow inflammation and can start playing catch on Tuesday. He likely won’t be ready for Opening Day but it’s still a positive development since reporting from earlier this week indicated that missing the entire season was a possibility.
Brash was shut down from throwing a week ago, downplaying the severity of his issues by saying he was just “banged up” and “didn’t feel great” after throwing a bullpen. As mentioned, subsequent reporting from a couple of days ago suggested Brash was at risk of missing significant time, perhaps even all of 2024.
That makes today’s news a welcome development for the Mariners, though the concern will likely linger until he gets back on the mound. In the short term, he’ll resume his program shortly and try to build up for game readiness.
If that all goes well, it will be a great relief for the Seattle bullpen. Brash posted a 3.06 ERA last year but may have deserved even better. He struck out a huge 34.7% of batters faced while also posting an above-average 46.1% ground ball rate. His 9.7% walk rate was a tad high but not disastrously so, with relievers around the league averaging a 9.5% clip last year. Some extra runs may have scored thanks to a .380 batting average on balls in play and 77.2% strand rate, which is why his 2.26 FIP and 2.86 SIERA were even more bullish on his performance. He did all that while racking up four saves and 24 holds.
The club figures to have Andrés Muñoz in the closer’s role with Brash and Gregory Santos likely to be in setup jobs. There were recent injury concerns about both, as Santos had some discomfort near his teres major muscle. But Santos has already begun playing catch and general manager Justin Hollander suggested today that things are moving in a positive direction, per Divish. If things continue to trend well for Santos and Brash, it will be a nice development for the club, especially considering how worrisome things looked not too long ago.
Matt Brash Could Face Lengthy Absence
Feb. 29: The Mariners are hoping to have a formal update on Brash’s status tomorrow, manager Scott Servais said Thursday (X link via Divish).
Feb. 28: Mariners setup men Matt Brash and Gregory Santos were both shut down last week due to arm troubles, and while it appears there’s good news on one, the outlook on the other is ominous. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports that Santos played catch yesterday and is beginning a throwing progression, but Brash is potentially facing an “extensive” absence. There’s some concern that Brash’s entire 2024 season may be in jeopardy, per Divish.
An absence of even moderate length for Brash would be a critical blow for the Mariners, who acquired the hard-throwing righty in a heist of a trade with the Padres and have since watched him blossom into a top prospect and potentially elite reliever. Brash’s 3.06 ERA in 70 2/3 innings last season is an impressive mark on its own, but that number doesn’t appropriately highlight some off-the-charts secondary metrics and a sensational four-month finish to close out the 2023 season.
Even as Brash posted a pedestrian 4.28 ERA through the season’s first two months, he was striking out a staggering 39.8% of his opponents against a respectable 8.9% walk rate. Fielding-independent metrics like FIP (1.92) and SIERA (2.34) were far, far more bullish on his work than his more rudimentary ERA.
Those numbers indeed proved a portent for a breakout. From Memorial Day weekend through season’s end, Brash turned in a sensational 2.36 ERA. His strikeout rate in that time clocked in at 32.4% against a 9.7% walk rate. Brash averaged a blistering 98.2 mph on his heater, generated swinging strikes at a hefty 15.4% clip and induced chases off the plate at a 33.6% rate — all while keeping the ball on the ground at a solid 44.4% clip. He finished the season with four saves and another 24 holds. Skeptics may want to see him sustain that over a full season or two, but that overpowering stretch had all the characteristics of one of MLB’s best relievers.
Unfortunately, it seems Brash might not get the opportunity to prove he can sustain that breakout for some time. Neither the team nor the player himself has provided any specifics as to the nature of the arm injury with which he’s dealing. Brash downplayed the issue last week, telling Divish and others that he’s simply “banged up,” while GM Justin Hollander merely stated that the hope was for Brash to return to a throwing program sooner than later. The lack of any real detail on the injury seemed foreboding at the time.
If the 25-year-old Brash is indeed going to be sidelined for a substantial portion — or, far worse, the entirety — of the 2024 campaign, a strong Mariners bullpen will take an unequivocal hit. Seattle relievers were fourth in the Majors with a 3.48 ERA last season and led the big leagues with a 3.64 SIERA. Brash played a major part, as did the since-traded Justin Topa, who went to the Twins as part of the Jorge Polanco deal.
The surprise acquisition of Santos late in the offseason helped to compensate for Topa’s departure, but a major injury for Brash would be difficult to overcome. His production throughout the summer and down the stretch in 2023 simply isn’t the type of performance that can be readily replaced.
The Mariners would still have one of the game’s best relievers, Andres Munoz, closing out games. Santos would headline a setup corps also featuring Gabe Speier, Trent Thornton and Tayler Saucedo — all of whom posted solid numbers in 2023 but have minimal big league track records.
There’s also still at least one notable reliever in free agency (Ryne Stanek), and the Mariners have had perhaps more success than any team in MLB at converting unheralded waiver pickups and minor league signees into impact relievers in recent years. Flamethrower Carlos Vargas, acquired in the Eugenio Suarez trade, is one power-armed candidate for such a breakout in Seattle. None of that takes away from the magnitude of a notable Brash injury, and at this stage of the offseason, the options to make a move to counteract such a significant loss are limited.
AL Central Notes: Twins, Miller, Valera, Carpenter
The Twins brought back four players from the Mariners in exchange for Jorge Polanco last month, though Minnesota’s first target was right-hander Bryce Miller, Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports. Miller and fellow rookie Bryan Woo were among the most sought-after trade targets of the winter, yet the Mariners weren’t eager to move either pitcher, or anyone from their crop of young and controllable starters. While Polanco fills a big need for Seattle at second base, he is only under team control through the 2025 season, so any kind of Polanco-for-Miller swap would’ve needed to be much different on Minnesota’s end to land Miller’s services.
More from around the AL Central…
- Guardians outfield prospect George Valera will miss “several weeks” after suffering a left hamstring strain, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (X link). Valera missed a big chunk of the 2023 season due to hamstring injuries and a hamate surgery, and the result was an unremarkable .220/.349/.397 slash line over 338 minor league plate appearances, mostly at the Triple-A level. Valera had been a regular on top-100 prospect lists prior to his 2023 disappointment, and his readiness for the start of the Triple-A season could now be in question depending on how much time he misses with his latest injury.
- Kerry Carpenter is also dealing with a strain to his left hamstring, though the Tigers slugger is only slated to miss a few days for now, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press). Hinch described the situation as “precautionary,” and Carpenter didn’t think he was going to be out for long. Over his first two MLB seasons, Carpenter has hit .273/.334/.474 with 26 homers over 572 PA, and is expected to play a key role as the Tigers’ regular designated hitter in 2024.
Mariners Notes: Brash, Santos, Urias, Phillips
The Mariners have shut relievers Matt Brash and Gregory Santos down from throwing for the time being, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Neither the team nor Brash would get into specifics regarding his injury, though Divish notes that the M’s don’t believe it to be a serious issue. Brash simply told Divish that he’s “banged up” and “didn’t feel great” after his most recent bullpen session. GM Justin Hollander added that the organizational hope is for Brash to resume a throwing progression next week. Santos, meanwhile, is dealing with some discomfort near his teres major muscle that popped up during his most recent ’pen session. There’s no specific timetable for his return to throwing.
While the team hasn’t yet conveyed significant concerns on either player, both should be watched with a keen eye. Brash quietly emerged as one of the most dominant setup men in the league last season. His 3.06 ERA in 70 2/3 innings is impressive on its own, but that masks a sensational four-month run to close out the season.
Brash posted strong secondary marks but pedestrian run-prevention numbers in the season’s first two months. But from Memorial Day weekend onward, the righty delivered a 2.36 ERA with a 32.4% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate. Brash averaged a blazing 98.2 mph on his heater in 2023, saved four games and picked up another 24 holds. He’s expected to be the primary setup man for closer Andres Munoz and is slated for regular high-leverage work; even an absence of moderate length would be a sizable blow for the M’s.
That’s also true of Santos, whom the Mariners just acquired from the White Sox earlier this month (in a trade sending outfielder Zach DeLoach, righty Prelander Berroa and a Competitive Balance draft pick back to Chicago). The Sox’ acquisition of Santos from the Giants flew under the radar last offseason, but he’d pitched his way into the likely closer’s role on the South Side before being flipped to Seattle. Santos pitched 66 1/3 innings in 2023, posting a sharp 3.39 ERA with a 22.8% strikeout rate, 5.9% walk rate and 52.5% grounder rate while averaging 98.8 mph on his fastball. ERA alternatives like FIP (2.65) and SIERA (3.32) generally support his unexpected breakout as an impact reliever.
The team will presumably have updates on both relievers in the days ahead, but they’re critical cogs in manager Scott Servais’ setup corps. The Mariners have a strong bullpen and are generally adept at turning low-profile pickups into successful bullpen arms, but overcoming the loss of both pitchers would be a tall order.
Unfortunately for the Mariners, Brash and Santos aren’t the only ones banged up. Third baseman Luis Urias isn’t throwing for the time being after experiencing some shoulder inflammation while playing winter ball in his native Mexico this offseason (link via MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer). The team believes it’ll be a short-term issue, but there’s still no clear timetable as to when he’ll begin throwing.
Urias, 26, struggled to a dismal .199/.307/.299 slash in 177 plate appearances with the Brewers and Red Sox last year but slashed .244/.340/.426 in 1042 plate appearances with Milwaukee from 2021-22. He’s also a career .276/.353/.442 hitter against lefties. A healthy Urias would be a fine option in the short half of a platoon at either third base or second base, although the acquisition of Polanco at second base paints third base as the obvious place for the Urias/Rojas platoon.
If Urias misses any time or is at all delayed to start the season, Seattle could just stay in-house and give fellow righty-swinger Dylan Moore some platoon work at the hot corner. Moore hasn’t been as good against lefties as Urias, however, and putting him in that role would thin out the team’s bench depth, perhaps paving the way for Sam Haggerty or Samad Taylor to crack the roster. The M’s could also just go with Rojas on an everyday basis at third; he has near-identical splits throughout his career.
Kramer also notes that right-hander Cole Phillips, the 2022 second-rounder acquired from the Braves in the Jarred Kelenic deal, recently underwent his second Tommy John surgery. Phillips also underwent the procedure during his senior year of high school in 2022, just months before the draft. He’d been trending up as a potential first-round pick before blowing out his elbow in ’22 and has yet to throw a pitch in the pros while rehabbing that injury. Unfortunately, his debut will now be delayed even further. Phillips won’t turn 21 until May, so there’s plenty of time for him to get back on track and develop into a contributor for the Mariners, but a pair of Tommy John procedures prior to a pitcher’s 21st birthday is as ominous as it gets for a pitching prospect.
Mariners To Sign Brian Anderson, Trevor Kelley To Minor League Deals
12:10pm: Anderson will make a salary of $2MM if he makes the team, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
10:30am: The Mariners have infielder/outfielder Brian Anderson and right-hander Trevor Kelley in camp and are signing them to minor league deals, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Anderson is repped by CAA Sports and Kelley by C.L. Rocks Corporation.
Anderson, 31 in May, was once a solid regular in the big leagues but is coming off three straight frustrating seasons, with injuries playing a role. He signed with the Brewers last year after being non-tendered by the Marlins. He got into 96 games for Milwaukee but hit just .226/.310/.368 for a wRC+ of 85. He also spent a few weeks on the injured list due to a lower back strain. The Brewers released him in October.
It was a fairly similar story when Anderson was with the Marlins in 2021 and 2022. He went on the IL due to oblique, shoulder and back issues and hit .233/.321/.359 for a 90 wRC+ over those two years, leading the Fish to cut him loose.
But he had a good three-year run prior to that. He got into 341 games for the Marlins over those three campaigns, one of which was shortened by the pandemic. He hit .266/.350/.436 in that time, drawing walks at a 9% clip while striking out at a reasonable rate of 21.8%. That production translated to a 115 wRC+, indicating he was 15% better than league average in that time. He also spent significant time at both third base and right field, in addition to brief looks at first and second base.
His defense has generally been graded well, as his work at the hot corner has produced two Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average. His right field work is more split as DRS has him at +8 and OAA at -10, but his arm strength is considered elite, with Statcast having him in 98th percentile of qualified players last year.
The M’s currently have some uncertainty at both third and the outfield corners. At the hot corner, they are set to have a platoon of Luis Urías and Josh Rojas, both of whom are coming off down years. In the outfield, they are set to have Julio Rodríguez and Mitch Haniger in two spots, with Luke Raley, Taylor Trammell, Cade Marlowe and Dominic Canzone in the mix for playing time as well.
Anderson will give them depth at both spots and perhaps a platoon role would be possible at first glance, though maybe not so much after digging deeper. He hits from the right side while each of Rojas, Raley, Trammell, Marlowe and Canzone are lefties. However, Anderson has reverse splits for his career, having hit .258/.344/.413 against righties for a 108 wRC+ but .231/.312/.375 against southpaws for a wRC+ of 89. Regardless of the eventual playing time fit, he bolsters the depth chart at two positions where Seattle has questions.
Kelley, 31, spent last year with the Rays but didn’t have much success. He posted a 5.87 earned run average in 15 1/3 innings at the big league level and a an ERA of 5.23 in Triple-A. He was outrighted off the roster in September. He’s now thrown 50 2/3 innings in the majors overall, also spending time with the Red Sox, Phillies and Brewers, but with a career ERA of 6.75.
Though he struggled in the minors last year, he has impressed on the farm before. Even with last year’s poor results, his Triple-A is 2.38 in 197 innings spanning five different seasons. He has struck out 24.4% of batters faced at that level while walking only 8.5%.
The Mariners have a pretty strong bullpen at the moment but injuries are inevitable in a long season. Kelley will be jockeying for a role alongside other experienced NRIs like Heath Hembree, Ty Buttrey, Kirby Snead and others. If he’s added to the roster at any point, he’s out of options.
Hollander: Mariners Additions Likely To Be “More On The Margins”
Mariners general manager Justin Hollander met with reporters this afternoon to discuss the possibility of some late-offseason acquisitions. While Hollander — who is second in the Seattle front office hierarchy behind baseball operations president Jerry Dipoto — left the door ajar for anything, he indicated the likelier course of action was to supplement towards the back of the roster.
“You never know. I think this group of players that we have — our 40-man roster as is — we may add on the margins. We may add in a more significant way, but I would expect it’s probably more on the margins than a real significant way based on where we’re at,” Hollander said (link via Daniel Kramer of MLB.com).
The comments come a couple days after Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported that the M’s have had internal discussions about Matt Chapman, one of the top four unsigned free agents. Hollander didn’t comment on Chapman — the CBA limits what team personnel are allowed to say regarding specific players — but Kramer writes that the M’s conversations about the third baseman occurred earlier in the month.
There was never any indication that Seattle is deeply involved in Chapman’s market. Kramer reports that the M’s interest has been contingent on the four-time Gold Glover lowering his asking price significantly. According to Kramer, a nine-figure deal for Chapman would be a “non-starter” for Seattle. The MLB.com report indicates the Mariners would be amenable to a shorter-term/incentive-laden contract, although that unsurprisingly hasn’t been of interest to Chapman’s camp at the Boras Corporation.
Third base looks like a relative weak point for Seattle. The Mariners dealt Eugenio Suárez to the Diamondbacks at the beginning of the offseason. They brought in Luis Urías in a small trade with the Red Sox and indirectly addressed the hot corner with last month’s Jorge Polanco deal. Installing Polanco at second base pushes lefty-hitting Josh Rojas over to third, likely in a platoon with the right-handed Urías.
Urías enters camp at a little less than full strength. The Mariners reveled today that he is battling some soreness in his throwing shoulder coming out of winter ball (via Divish). It’s not a serious issue but will keep him from throwing across the diamond in infield drills early in Spring Training.
Hollander downplayed any concern about the third base platoon. Asked if the M’s felt they’re vulnerable at the position, he replied: “I don’t really feel that way, no. … We feel really good about what the combination of Josh and Luis can do for us this year.”
That’s the expected tone for a GM to strike publicly. That said, Chapman is the only unsigned third baseman who’d be a clear upgrade on the Rojas/Urías pairing. If Seattle is simply keeping tabs on his market in case the opportunity presents itself to jump in at a lower price, they’re presumably otherwise content with their in-house options.
Seattle has also been loosely tied to the top two remaining free agents, Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger. The link to Snell has primarily been about geography rather than team need. The defending NL Cy Young winner is a Seattle native and there has been some speculation he could prefer to stay on the West Coast after three seasons in San Diego.
Despite that chatter, Kramer writes that the Mariners haven’t shown much interest in Snell at any point during the winter. The M’s traded rehabbing starter Robbie Ray and depth arm Marco Gonzales but have held onto their top five starters: George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. Former top 10 pick Emerson Hancock remains on hand as a high-upside depth piece.
Bellinger was arguably a better roster fit, but Kramer reports that Seattle hasn’t considered the former MVP in either of the past two offseasons. The M’s reacquired Mitch Haniger and brought in Luke Raley from Tampa Bay as part of a reshaped corner outfield. Seattle shipped out one-time top prospect Jarred Kelenic, leaving Haniger and Raley as the presumptive starters alongside Julio Rodríguez on the outfield grass.
Seattle has generally preferred the trade route over free agency under Dipoto, particularly with regards to position players. This offseason’s two-year, $24MM deal for Mitch Garver was the first multi-year free agent contract for a hitter that Seattle has given out in Dipoto’s tenure. Roster Resource projects the organization’s 2024 player spending in the $135MM range. That’s a middle-of-the-pack figure that’s right in line with last year’s approximate $137MM Opening Day sum.