Could the Mariners Find Utility Help on the Waiver Wire?

The trade deadline is past but the Mariners still have an opportunity to improve. While it’s still likey the team will make additions in the form of trades, there is one avenue that tends to be overlooked.

Today, we will shine a light on the often ignored stream of talent acquisition, the waiver wire. Now, if you are a fantasy sports person, you know what the waiver wire is. When a team wishes to clear a spot on the 40 man roster, they will Designate a player for assignment or “DFA” him. The player is then offered to every team, including the Mariners.

Waiver claims are quite common, in particular at this time of year, when trades are more difficult to work out. Remember, whenever a team acquires a new player, it often means they are sending an old player off their 40 man roster. The Pirates Chris Bostick was just DFA’d for this reason.

Bostick is a player who probably will have some level of interest around the game. He is 25-years-old and has a solid track record in the high minors. In his minor league career, Bostick is a .271/.336/.416 hitter.

In 2018 in AAA, Bostick is slashing .295/.351/.436 with 7 steals and 31 extra-base hits. In addition, Bostick is a pretty decent baserunner. In a big picture sense, Bostick is probably an AAAA bat. That is a hitter who is too good for minor league baseball, but not quite good enough for MLB.

So why the interest in Bostick? Well, in addition to the solid numbers in the minors, Bostick has had a cup of coffee in the big leagues and has held his own. More importantly, Bostick has300 or more innings played at 2B, 3B, LF, CF, and RF.

He is an athletic lottery ticket, and it’s not like the Mariners can’t improve the back side of their 40 man roster. Andrew Romine continues to be largely useless, and Bostick could provide an upgrade. Is he a guarantee to be better than Romine? No. But does he at least present upside that Romine doesn’t? 100 percent yes.