Seattle Mariners: 3 players who could be cut before Opening Day

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With the 40 man roster now at 40, if the Seattle Mariners make a signing someone will have to be cut. Which 3 are next in line?

The Seattle Mariners have made a flurry of small moves this offseason and have seen massive turnover in their 40 man roster. It all started right after the season when the Mariners outrighted multiple relievers like Carl Edwards Jr and Matt Magill.

Many moves followed like Seattle adding Taylor Trammell, Sam Delaplane, Juan Then, and Wyatt Mills to the 40 man roster at the deadline for players to be protected in the Rule 5 Draft. Then Seattle got active in free agency signing players like Chris Flexen and Keynan Middleton and then designating Tim Lopes and Phillip Ervin for assignment to make room.

The Mariners 40 man roster currently sits at 40, meaning that if Seattle is to trade for any players that would have to be added to the 40 man roster or sign any players to major league contracts, someone will have to be designated for assignment to make room.

This also could happen multiple times as the Mariners may be in the market for a left fielder, a starting pitcher, and more bullpen help. So who would be next in line to bite the dust and be a 40 man roster casualty if the Mariners trade or sign someone at the major league level?

Here are the 3 players who I believe to be next up to join the various DFA’s and outrights Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto has made this offseason.

Jose Marmolejos

While Jose Marmolejos showed sparks of being an MLB player in the shortened 2020 season, overall he struggled both offensively and defensively. While Marmolejos played most of his minor league career at first base, because of Evan White and an opening in the outfield most of Jose’s time in the field was in leftfield where he had a hard time.

In 19 games in left field, Marmolejos had a dWAR of -0.3 and had -9 defensive runs saved above average (per 1,200 innings). To add to Marmo’s poor defense in his secondary position of left field, he also had a .672 OPS and hit .206 in 115 plate appearances.

He did show sparks of being a good hitter, like when he had a 1.070 OPS in the month of August and hit 3 home runs in 30 plate appearances. However, he followed that up by having a .572 OPS in September.

It is quite clear based on last season and with the current roster that the Mariners have that Marmolejos is not going to be on the roster for much longer. He does not have any minor league options remaining, meaning that if the Mariners want to take him off of the 26 man roster they will have to outright him to AAA or designate him for assignment.

Seattle also does not need a player like Marmolejos if they sign an outfielder, as his best value is as a backup first baseman or DH, and Ty France and Kyle Seager have that covered. If the Mariners are to sign an outfielder Marmolejos will be the player cut.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JULY 16: Donovan Walton #31 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after striking out in the second inning during a summer workouts intrasquad game at T-Mobile Park on July 16, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Donavan Walton

The Mariners have 9 infielders on their 40 man roster, 3 of whom will undoubtedly be everyday starters (Seager, Crawford, White), and then Dylan Moore, Shed Long, and Ty France will almost certainly all be on the opening day roster if healthy.

That leaves Jose Marmolejos (who I just talked about), Sam Haggerty, and Donavan Walton. While I don’t think anyone in that group is safe from possibly getting cut, Donavan Walton, along with Marmolejos, are the two I see getting cut first.

Donnie Walton has had some opportunities in the bigs and has not capitalized on them, with 33 plate appearances over the past two seasons and just 5 hits. That gives him a .172 batting average and he has a .480 OPS in that time.

Walton has decent minor league numbers having a .775 OPS over 4 seasons, but none of his stats really wow you and he has had inconsistent hitting stats year to year and level to level.

I think he is safer than Marmolejos as he still has some minor league options left, is only 26, and has never played in AAA, but even if there are depth problems in the infield if injuries pile up, the Mariners might go the route of signing someone before they give Walton at-bats.

Braden Bishop

Of the three people on this list, I think Braden Bishop is the safest as if an outfielder is signed I think Bishop is second in line to get cut, but I was not expecting Jerry Dipoto to cut Phillip Ervin and Tim Lopes.

Bishop is in a different situation compared to Ervin and Lopes, as he has had limited opportunities in the majors, but he has not done anything with the chances he’s got. Over the past two seasons, Bishop has almost 100 at-bats and has just 11 hits, two of them being for extra bases leading to a .336 OPS.

Bishop might be safe from getting DFA’d since he is still considered a prospect ranking 18th in the Mariners system on MLB.com, and he has also had to deal with multiple injuries which have kept him from receiving regular at-bats which he could have had in 2018, 2019, and last season.

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Bishop is now 27 and that title of “prospect” might soon be gone with his age, but because of his defense and potential if he can get some regular at-bats, he should be safer than the two previously mentioned, and if a pitcher is signed a depth reliever might be cut over him.

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With the 40 man roster now at 40, if the Seattle Mariners make a signing someone will have to be cut. Which 3 are next in line?

Jose Marmolejos

Donavan Walton

Braden Bishop

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