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Mariners Rumors

Mariners Select Samad Taylor, Place Dylan Moore On IL

By Darragh McDonald | April 29, 2025 at 3:55pm CDT

The Mariners announced that infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor has been selected to the roster. He will take the active roster spot of infielder/outfielder Dylan Moore, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list. The IL placement, which is retroactive to April 26th, is due to right hip inflammation. To open a 40-man spot for Taylor, right-hander Gregory Santos has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Moore has been out to a red-hot start this year, with a .286/.346/.557 line to this point while bouncing around to all four infield spots and right field. He earned American League Player of the Week honors for the week of April 14th to 20th. It seems this hip issue will put that on pause. He hasn’t played since Friday, which is why the M’s were able to backdate his IL placement. The club hasn’t provided any updates but it’s possible he could rejoin them in a week if he just needs a bit of rest.

For now, Taylor will come up and take his spot. Like Moore, he’s capable of bouncing around the diamond. In the big leagues, he has experience at second base, third base, center field and left field. He has also played some shortstop in the minors, though not this year.

Offensively, he has hit just .215/.288/.277 in his 74 big league plate appearances, but with much better numbers on the farm. Dating back to the start of 2022, he has stepped to the plate 1,392 times at the Triple-A level with a .277/.371/.427 line and 108 wRC+. That includes a strong .321/.389/.560 showing so far this year. Speed is also a big part of Taylor’s game. He has stolen at least 23 bases in each minor league season dating back to 2018, including 50 last year. He already has six so far in 2025.

He will presumably move around to various positions for the M’s, perhaps doing some pinch running as well. He still has an option remaining, so he could be easily sent back down to the minors if Moore gets healthy relatively quickly.

As for Santos, it was reported last week that he would be undergoing surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee. His exact timeline isn’t clear but this transfer to the 60-day IL indicates that the club expects him to be out beyond the middle of June.

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners Transactions Dylan Moore Gregory Santos Samad Taylor

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Blue Jays Claim Casey Lawrence

By Darragh McDonald | April 28, 2025 at 2:40pm CDT

The Blue Jays have claimed right-hander Casey Lawrence off waivers from the Mariners, according to announcements from both clubs. The righty had been designated for assignment by Seattle over the weekend. The Jays opened a 40-man roster spot yesterday by transferring Ryan Burr to the 60-day injured list. Lawrence is out of options so the Jays will need to open an active roster spot once he reports to the club.

Lawrence, 37, is a veteran swingman who has bounced between the Jays, Mariners and Cardinals in his big league career. He has often served as a multi-inning reliever, soaking up innings to save an overworked pitching staff from further taxation.

This year, he has essentially been the 41st man on Seattle’s 40-man roster. He started the season with the Mariners on a minor league deal. They have selected his contract to the roster three times. In all three cases, he was designated for assignment within a few days. In the first two instances, he cleared waivers and then returned to the big league club once needed. He has a 3.60 earned run average in ten innings over four appearances.

This time, he didn’t clear waivers, as the Jays now have a need for such a pitcher. They recently optioned Easton Lucas, dropping their five-man rotation down to four. Thanks to some off-days, the club planned to go with a four-man rotation for a while, but a rainout on Saturday seemingly altered those plans.

Both Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt had to start yesterday to cover the doubleheader, which was the result of the postponement. The club is off today then has Bowden Francis on schedule for tomorrow. José Berríos could start on regular rest on Wednesday after starting on Friday. But neither Gausman nor Bassitt would be on regular rest for Wednesday’s game. Jake Bloss started for Triple-A Buffalo yesterday and won’t be an option by Wednesday either. Lucas was only optioned a week ago, on April 21. He can’t return to the big league within 15 days of that move unless replacing an injured player on the roster. Eric Lauer is an option as he’s been in the Triple-A rotation and tossed five innings on Thursday, though he’s not on the 40-man roster at present.

Perhaps Lawrence will make a spot start or simply give the club a long relief option for the next few days. Paxton Schultz tossed 57 pitches in relief of Gausman in the first game of yesterday’s twin bill, one of six relievers the club used yesterday. Schultz might not be available for a few days after that, so Lawrence could step in as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen.

It’s entirely possible that it will be another short stint for Lawrence on a club’s roster, just with the Jays this time instead of the Mariners, something he recently spoke to Tim Booth of The Seattle Times about. “I think I’m used to kind of the movement of it,” Lawrence said. “And I think it’s one of those things where you understand your role in the team and you’re willing to do whatever is going to help the team. Right now, it’s kind of doing this.”

Though living out of a suitcase is surely a challenge, Lawrence seems to be focused on appreciating what time in the majors he does have left. “I’ve been fortunate, like I said, and I never take it for granted,” Lawrence said. “Especially when you’re like this, you’re kind of riding the roller coaster a little bit. So I take every day for what it’s worth, and really try to be where my feet are, just be a part of the team.”

Though he’s still carving out some playing time, he’s self-aware enough that his mind has wandered to what’s next. “I know that at 37, I’m on the back end of my career. And I know when I’m done playing, I want to get into player development or front office, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say, I’ve had those conversations of, ‘Am I ready for that yet?’ But I’m not there yet,” he said.

Photo courtesy of Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Casey Lawrence

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West Notes: Arraez, Padres, Leiter, Tovar, Tellez

By Mark Polishuk | April 27, 2025 at 11:16pm CDT

It was a week ago tonight that Luis Arraez was carted off the field in Houston after he collided with Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubon during a play at first base.  Early concerns of a neck or jaw injury dissipated when Arraez was back in the Padres’ clubhouse later that night after a trip to the hospital, and though Arraez was placed on the concussion-related injured list, the three-time batting champ feels he will miss just the minimum seven days.

Arraez took part in a full workout with some other injured Padres players on the field today, and told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell that he is free of concussion symptoms.  Tuesday would mark the earliest that Arraez is eligible to be activated, and he is now just “waiting for the doctor, whatever he says” about a possible okay to resume playing.

As for San Diego’s other injured players, Jason Heyward might also be activated Tuesday, as was working out on the field and is also nearing the 10-day minimum date after his IL placement for knee inflammation.  Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Jackson Merrill and Brandon Lockridge (both out with hamstring injuries) are expected to take part in a live batting-practice session at the Padres’ spring camp on Monday, and Merrill was also feeling good enough to take part in today’s defensive workout.  Jake Cronenworth (rib fracture) is feeling good enough to take part in some light fielding drills, but Sanders notes that Cronenworth hasn’t yet attempted diving for balls.

With the weekend wrapping up, here are some more items from the NL and AL West divisions…

  • The Rangers activated Jack Leiter from the 15-day IL today, with right-hander Gerson Garabito heading to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  A blister issue had kept Leiter from pitching since April 2, and some rust was apparent, as Leiter allowed two earned runs (on four walks and two hits) over 3 1/3 innings in Texas’ 3-2 loss to the Giants.  Leiter tossed 76 pitches and was on a pitch count anyway, though obviously the Rangers would’ve preferred to see the former top prospect get a bit deeper into the game.  Leiter still has an impressive 2.03 ERA over 13 1/3 innings this season, and will continue in the rotation at least until some of the club’s other injured starters return to action.
  • Ezequiel Tovar was eligible to be activated off the Rockies’ 10-day injured list this weekend, but manager Bud Black told the Denver Post’s Jeff Saunders and other reporters that Tovar will need another 7-10 days of recovery time.  Tovar is dealing with a left hip contusion and hasn’t played since April 15, leaving the struggling Rockies short one of their few breakout players from the 2024 season.
  • Rowdy Tellez was a late scratch from the Mariners’ lineup today, as the slugger is apparently still feeling sore after being hit on the hand by a pitch in Saturday’s game.  X-rays were negative on Tellez’s hand, he told Shane Lantz of the Seattle Times and other reporters, so it appears to be a precautionary move on the Mariners’ part.  Seattle has an off-day on Monday, so Tellez will receive two full days off before his next attempt to play.
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Colorado Rockies Notes San Diego Padres Seattle Mariners Texas Rangers Brandon Lockridge Ezequiel Tovar Gerson Garabito Jack Leiter Jackson Merrill Jake Cronenworth Jason Heyward Luis Arraez Rowdy Tellez

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Mariners Place Logan Gilbert On 15-Day IL, Plan To Select Logan Evans; Casey Lawrence DFA’d

By Leo Morgenstern | April 27, 2025 at 11:58am CDT

TODAY: Evans has officially been selected to the roster ahead of his start today. Saucedo was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

April 26: The Mariners placed right-hander Logan Gilbert on the 15-day injured list today with a flexor strain in his pitching elbow. Additionally, Seattle designated right-hander Casey Lawrence for assignment and recalled right-hander Troy Taylor and left-hander Tayler Saucedo from Triple-A.

Losing Gilbert for any period of time is a tough blow for the Mariners. Thankfully, however, he seems to have avoided the worst. He exited his most recent start with the always ominous-sounding “forearm tightness,” and the M’s anxiously awaited the results of his MRI. Yet, his injury has been diagnosed as a Grade 1 (a.k.a. mild) strain. According to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, the righty will be shut down for two weeks before being re-evaluated. While there is no timeline for his return, Gilbert seems optimistic. He told reporters (including Kramer) that the injury wasn’t “really bad” and said he feels “better today already than I did yesterday.”

Gilbert has been one of the most durable and productive starters in the American League since his debut in May 2021. In that time, he has a 3.55 ERA, a 3.56 SIERA, a 4.84 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and he is tied for first among AL pitchers in starts. After making his first All-Star appearance and earning some Cy Young votes last season, he has looked better than ever in 2025, with a 2.37 ERA through six starts. His 1.87 SIERA and 37.6% strikeout rate both rank first among qualified pitchers.

Taylor and Saucedo are relievers, so neither is a replacement for Gilbert. Having the two of them on the active roster will simply offer manager Dan Wilson some additional bullpen depth tonight against the Marlins. Instead, the Mariners will replace one Logan with another, as Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports that pitching prospect Logan Evans will make his major league debut tomorrow. Gilbert’s turn in the rotation wouldn’t have come again until Friday against the Rangers, and thanks to off days coming up on Monday and Thursday, Seattle theoretically could have survived with a four-man rotation until May 6. Instead, however, they will give the ball to Evans tomorrow afternoon.

The Mariners selected Evans late in the 2023 draft, but the young righty put up strong numbers as he pitched his way through the minor league system. Entering the season, Baseball America ranked him as Seattle’s eighth-best prospect, describing him as a “safe No. 3 or 4 starter who should be able to post strong innings totals every season.” Keith Law of The Athletic had a similar evaluation, ranking Evans tenth in the organization and writing, “He’s at least a No. 4, though, and I’ll bet on any pitcher who’s already shown this kind of capacity to make adjustments.” His stuff isn’t overpowering, but his arsenal is deep, and his above-average abilities to throw strikes and induce grounders should help him pitch deep into games. Through five starts at Triple-A in 2025, he has a 3.86 ERA and 2.90 FIP in 25 2/3 innings of work.

Lawrence has already been DFA’d by the Mariners twice this year. After first pitching for the Mariners from 2017-18, he returned in 2024 and spent the season at Triple-A Tacoma. He re-upped with the club on another minor league pact this offseason and has so far pitched 10 innings over two separate stints in the majors, giving up 11 runs, but only four earned runs, in that time. He took over for Gilbert on Friday after he exited early and ate five innings for the Mariners in an 8-4 loss. That surely explains why he was DFA’d; he won’t be able to pitch for several days, and the Mariners’ bullpen would have been thin had they kept him around. Considering he has already cleared waivers, elected free agency, and re-signed with Seattle twice this season, there’s a good chance that’s exactly what will happen again.

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Seattle Mariners Transactions Casey Lawrence Logan Evans Logan Gilbert

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Logan Gilbert Likely Headed For MRI With Forearm Tightness

By Anthony Franco | April 25, 2025 at 11:26pm CDT

11:26pm: Gilbert told reporters (including Adam Jude of The Seattle Times) that he expects to go for an MRI tomorrow.

9:59pm: The Mariners announced that Logan Gilbert exited tonight’s start against the Marlins with forearm tightness. Gilbert had fired three perfect innings with a trio of strikeouts. He was lifted for Casey Lawrence to begin the fourth.

Gilbert’s fastball was in the 94-95 MPH range throughout the night. His final heater checked in at 95.4 MPH, right in line with his 95.6 MPH season average. The stuff still seemed sharp, but the M’s are obviously going to be extremely cautious with any kind of forearm discomfort. Gilbert entered play tonight with a 2.63 earned run average and 41 strikeouts through his first 27 1/3 innings. It was an even more impressive start than last year, when he landed sixth in AL Cy Young balloting after posting a 3.23 ERA over an MLB-high 208 2/3 frames.

Skipper Dan Wilson will presumably provide more information postgame. It’s impossible to know the severity this soon, but it’s a concerning development anytime a top pitcher experiences forearm discomfort. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Mariners send Gilbert for imaging over the weekend.

Seattle opened the season without star righty George Kirby, who battled shoulder inflammation early in Spring Training. Kirby progressed to throwing a bullpen session before tonight’s game, his first mound work after a six-week shutdown (link via Daniel Kramer of MLB.com). He’s expected to throw live batting practice next week. Kirby appears to be progressing nicely, but he’s certainly still weeks away from a return to major league action.

Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller have filled their customary mid-rotation spots behind Gilbert. The final rotation spot has been a struggle in Kirby’s absence. Luis F. Castillo allowed seven runs in as many innings over two starts. Emerson Hancock has given up 10 runs across 11 2/3 frames in three outings.

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Seattle Mariners George Kirby Logan Gilbert

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Gregory Santos To Undergo Cleanup Knee Surgery

By Anthony Franco | April 25, 2025 at 8:54pm CDT

The Mariners placed Gregory Santos on the 15-day injured list this afternoon. Seattle announced that the reliever is dealing with right knee inflammation. Adam Jude of The Seattle Times relays that Santos will undergo a cleanup surgery to repair cartilage next week.

Seattle announced last week that Santos would be optioned to Triple-A. It seems they subsequently learned of his knee discomfort. Santos didn’t make an appearance in the minors. Players who were injured while in the majors cannot be optioned, so the option was rescinded and he lands on the MLB injured list instead.

The return timeline isn’t clear, though GM Justin Hollander said the team expects he’ll make it back before the end of the season (video provided by Marine Layer Podcast). It wouldn’t be all that surprising if he winds up on the 60-day injured list when the team needs a 40-man roster spot, though.

The M’s acquired Santos from the White Sox over the 2023-24 offseason. He’d posted a 3.39 ERA over 60 appearances in his lone season in Chicago. His tenure in the Pacific Northwest has been marred by injury. Santos suffered a lat strain midway through his first Spring Training. That shelved him into July. He went back on the injured list a few weeks later with biceps inflammation and finished the year with all of eight appearances.

Santos has made eight appearances this year as well. He’s allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits and eight walks. He hasn’t recorded a single strikeout among 36 batters faced. The Mariners will hope for something more closely resembling his 2023 form after the knee surgery. Santos figures to eclipse three years of major league service during the season and will qualify for arbitration next winter.

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Seattle Mariners Gregory Santos

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Mariners Select Casey Lawrence

By Darragh McDonald | April 23, 2025 at 2:40pm CDT

The Mariners announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Casey Lawrence. Fellow righty Sauryn Lao was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding active roster move. To get Lawrence onto the 40-man, outfielder Víctor Robles was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Robles suffered a left shoulder dislocation a couple of weeks ago and isn’t expected back for several months.

Lawrence and the Mariners seem to have an arrangement that is working for both of them. The season is only a few weeks old but this is already the third time he has been selected to the roster. He signed a minor league deal with the M’s in the winter and was called up to the majors on April 9th. A few days later, he was designated for assignment, cleared waivers and elected free agency. He returned on a fresh minor league deal and was back on the roster by April 18th. Once again, he was quickly DFA’d and cleared waivers but is now back on the roster a third time.

Around those transactions, he has served as a multi-inning reliever for the club. He has logged five innings across three appearances thus far, having allowed two earned runs. By continually shuffling him on and off the roster, the Mariners can keep fresh arms moving in and out of the bullpen.

Lawrence is out of options, which necessitates him continually being removed from the 40-man. He has the right to elect free agency as a player with a previous career outright but seems content to circling back to the Mariners each time. From his perspective, he gets to add a bit of major league pay and service time, not a bad outcome for a 37-year-old journeyman.

Emerson Hancock, the least established member of the Seattle rotation, takes the ball tonight for the M’s at Fenway Park. If he gets into trouble, Lawrence will likely be called upon to sop up some innings and save the rest of the bullpen before tomorrow’s day game.

Photo courtesy of Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners Transactions Casey Lawrence Sauryn Lao Victor Robles

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Casey Lawrence Elects Free Agency

By Nick Deeds | April 22, 2025 at 9:49pm CDT

April 22: Seattle announced on Tuesday that Lawrence cleared waivers and was outrighted back to Triple-A Tacoma. According to the MiLB.com transaction log, he elected free agency. There’s a decent chance he’ll re-sign with the Mariners on another minor league deal, as he did after electing free agency last week.

April 20: The Mariners announced this morning that they’ve designated right-hander Casey Lawrence for assignment. Right-hander Sauryn Lao was selected to the roster to replace Lawrence on the 40-man and active rosters.

Lawrence, 37, is a journeyman who has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons. After signing with the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent back in 2010, the right-hander spent years climbing up the minor league ladder before finally reaching the majors during the 2017 season. He struggled to a 6.64 ERA with a 5.08 FIP in 78 2/3 innings of work for the Jays and Mariners over the next two years before heading overseas to pitch for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hiroshima Carp in 2019. Lawrence posted a 4.80 ERA in 110 2/3 innings of work for the Carp and did not pitch professionally during the 2020 season.

He resurfaced in Toronto during the 2021 season and has oscillated between the majors and Triple-A in the years since then, with a 6.62 ERA and 6.12 FIP across 50 1/3 innings between the Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Mariners. His most recent stint in Seattle has seen the right-hander post five innings of three-run (two earned) ball, though he’s failed to strike out any of the 20 batters he’s faced. The Mariners will have one week to work out a trade involving Lawrence or pass him through waivers, and if he goes unclaimed he’ll have the option to either accept and outright assignment back to the minor leagues or elect free agency in search of a better deal elsewhere.

Lawrence’s departure makes room for Lao on the active and 40-man rosters. Signed by the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic back in 2016, Lao was initially signed as a corner infielder but converted to pitching after struggling to hit at the High-A level. He made his first pitching appearances in 2023 and looked good enough to reach the Double-A level, and last year dominated Double-A to the tune of a 1.90 ERA in 20 relief appearances before getting promoted to Triple-A. The inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League was not kind to Lao, as he surrendered a 5.22 ERA in 29 1/3 innings of work. That was his last work in a Dodgers uniform, as he elected minor league free agency and signed with Seattle.

He’s made three abbreviated starts for Seattle so far at Triple-A, and looked good in doing so with a 2.00 ERA and a 21.2% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 3%. Lao figures to serve as a long man for the Seattle bullpen, offering bulk relief to the club now that Lawrence is off the roster and Emerson Hancock has taken up a rotation job. Lao figures to be especially important for the Mariners in the coming days after the club went 12 innings against the Blue Jays last night, only five of which were handled by starter Logan Gilbert.

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Seattle Mariners Transactions Casey Lawrence Sauryn Lao

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Cubs Acquire Drew Pomeranz From Mariners

By Anthony Franco | April 21, 2025 at 8:14pm CDT

8:14pm: While the team announced that Pomeranz would report to Triple-A Iowa, that’s evidently a temporary assignment. Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report that the Cubs are likely to call him up on Wednesday.

7:47pm: The Cubs officially announced to media (including Marquee’s Taylor McGregor) that they’ve acquired Pomeranz for cash considerations.

6:10pm: The Mariners are trading reliever Drew Pomeranz to the Cubs, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The veteran southpaw had been pitching in Triple-A with Seattle. According to Rosenthal, Pomeranz’s deal contained an upward mobility clause that required the Mariners to either call him up or trade him if another team was willing to offer him a big league roster spot.

That suggests the Cubs will call Pomeranz up for what’d be his first major league appearance in four years (assuming he makes it into a game). He was very briefly in the big leagues last season, as he spent four days on the Giants’ roster last May. San Francisco skipper Bob Melvin didn’t get him into a game before he was designated for assignment and outrighted off the roster. Pomeranz elected free agency upon clearing waivers and sat out the remainder of the season.

The 36-year-old signed a minor league deal with Seattle in December. He was granted his release at the end of Spring Training but promptly returned on a new non-roster pact. He has allowed six runs, five of them earned, through 9 2/3 innings with their Tacoma affiliate. Pomeranz has given out eight free passes (six walks and two hit batters) but he’s punched out 14 of 43 opponents. He’s getting swinging strikes at a decent 11.8% clip while working with a 92 MPH fastball and a low-80s knuckle-curve.

Chicago was intrigued enough by the stuff to give Pomeranz a look despite the wobbly command. He has some familiarity with skipper Craig Counsell. Pomeranz had a breakout half-season in Milwaukee while Counsell was managing the Brewers in 2019. He recorded 45 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings after a deadline trade with San Francisco. That led the Padres to sign him to a surprising four-year, $34MM free agent deal the following offseason. The investment didn’t work, as injuries and the shortened 2020 schedule limited him to 47 appearances over the life of that contract.

According to the MLB.com transaction log, the Cubs optioned Jordan Wicks to Triple-A Iowa. That’ll apparently be the corresponding active roster move. They’ll need to add Pomeranz to the 40-man roster as well, though they can move Justin Steele to the 60-day injured list to open that spot.

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Chicago Cubs Seattle Mariners Transactions Drew Pomeranz

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Looking Ahead To Club Options: AL West

By Anthony Franco | April 18, 2025 at 9:10pm CDT

Over the coming days, MLBTR will look at next offseason’s option class. Steve Adams highlighted the players who can opt out of their current deals, while we’ll take a division-by-division look at those whose contracts contain either team or mutual options. Virtually all of the mutual options will be bought out by one side. Generally, if the team is willing to retain the player at the option price, the player will decline his end in search of a better free agent deal.

We started with a look at the NL West yesterday. While every team in that division had at least one player whose deal contained a club or mutual option, its American League counterpart only has two teams that are slated to have any option decisions.

Athletics

  • None

Houston Astros

  • None

Los Angeles Angels

  • Kevin Newman, SS ($2.5MM club option, $250K buyout)

The Angels brought in Newman on a $2.75MM contract early last offseason. The contact-hitting infielder was coming off a solid .278/.311/.375 slash over 111 games in a utility role in Arizona. He added necessary shortstop depth with Zach Neto opening the season on the injured list after last fall’s shoulder surgery. Newman had a rough Spring Training, though, and the Angels went with minor league signee Tim Anderson as their primary shortstop until Neto’s return tonight.

Newman’s cold spring has carried into his early regular season work. He has managed three hits, all singles, without taking a walk in 23 trips to the plate. Newman has never walked much or hit for any kind of power, but he generally puts the ball in play and can move around the infield. Neto’s return means he won’t get much playing time at shortstop, while Kyren Paris and Luis Rengifo are respectively getting the majority of work at second and third base.

Note: José Quijada and Evan White each have club options on their respective contracts. They’ve both been outrighted off the 40-man roster and are very likely to be bought out. If they’re added back to the 40-man, the Angels would control both players via arbitration even if they decline the options.

Seattle Mariners

  • Mitch Garver, DH ($12MM mutual option, $2MM buyout)

Garver’s two-year, $24MM contract remains the only multi-year deal that the Mariners have awarded to a free agent hitter under Jerry Dipoto’s leadership. It hasn’t gone well. While Garver’s injury history made that a somewhat risky investment, he looked like a good bet to hit whenever he was on the field. Garver was coming off a .270/.370/.500 showing for the Rangers during their World Series season, and he brought a career .252/.342/.483 batting line to T-Mobile Park.

The 34-year-old’s production tanked almost immediately. He managed a career-high 430 plate appearances last season, but it came with easily his worst rate stats in a full season. Garver hit .172/.286/.341 while striking out at a 31% rate. It wasn’t simply a product of Seattle’s pitcher-friendly park. His .186/.290/.324 line on the road wasn’t any better than his .153/.281/.363 showing at home. He doesn’t look to be on the verge of a rebound. Garver has begun this season with four singles, six walks, and zero extra-base hits across 34 trips to the plate.

  • Andrés Muñoz, RHP ($6MM club option)

The Mariners worked out an extension with the hard-throwing Muñoz during the 2021-22 offseason. He’d made all of one appearance in a Seattle uniform at the time. Muñoz had undergone Tommy John surgery while a member of the Padres in 2020. Seattle acquired him early in the rehab process. They believed he’d blossom into a late-game weapon. They were right.

Muñoz has rattled off three straight sub-3.00 ERA seasons since signing his extension. He has begun this year with 10 scoreless innings, recording 13 strikeouts with an AL-leading seven saves. He carries a 2.35 earned run average with a huge 34.7% strikeout rate over 184 frames in a Seattle uniform. This has quickly become one of the most team-friendly contracts in the game.

The option is essentially a lock unless he suffers a significant injury that’d cost him all of next season. The team has respective $8MM and $10MM options for 2027 and ’28, so they could keep him at below-market rates for three years. Next season’s option has a $6MM base value. It’d climb by $250K apiece if Muñoz finishes 20, 30, 40 and 45 games this year. He’s already at eight games finished and should get to 45 by season’s end. The option price will probably end up at $7MM, but it’s an easy call for the front office.

  • Jorge Polanco, 3B ($8MM mutual option, $750K buyout)

Polanco’s option begins as an $8MM mutual provision, but he can convert it to a player option if he hits a vesting threshold. If he reaches 450 plate appearances this season and avoids a lower half injury that’d require him to begin next season on the injured list — which is protection for the team given his recent knee concerns — it’d become a $6MM player option. Getting to 550 plate appearances this year would push the player option price to $8MM.

If Polanco does not hit the vesting threshold, it’d remain an $8MM mutual option with a $750K buyout. He has been dinged up by knee and side discomfort that has limited him but not prevented him from playing. The switch-hitting Polanco is currently unable to play the infield or hit right-handed in games. He’s a lefty-swinging designated hitter for now. Yet he’s been on such a tear that the Mariners will happily live with the limitations.

Polanco has connected on three homers and a pair of doubles through 13 games. He’s hitting .378. That not only leads the team but ranks sixth in the majors among hitters with at least 40 plate appearances. He’s obviously not going to keep up this pace, but Polanco was fairly consistently an above-average hitter during his run as Minnesota’s second baseman. The Mariners felt that last year’s career-worst production was attributable to the knee injury through which he played a good chunk of the season. Polanco has done his best to prove that right so far.

Texas Rangers

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Los Angeles Angels MLBTR Originals Seattle Mariners Andres Munoz Jorge Polanco Kevin Newman Mitch Garver

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