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Mariners: Looking at some of the potential September call-ups
We are almost to the end of August, which means the Mariners roster is going to start to look a little bit different in a few days. Namely, the roster is going to expand from 26 to 28, so a couple of new faces will be joining the fold for the M’s.
Well, they might not be new, but they will be additions for sure. There’s been a good amount of rumblings amongst Mariners fans about who we could expect to see, so I wanted to look at some of the options.
Here’s who the Mariners could bring up to the 28-man September roster.
If it were up to me, I would like to see the Mariners add both a hitter and a pitcher to the MLB team for September. The bullpen could use a bit more depth, as it seems some of the starters are running into a wall late in the season. Remember, no one threw over 85 innings last year in all of baseball, so a lot of these guys are getting well past that number. Or at least well past what they threw last year.
At the plate, it would be nice to have one more guy to continue to give the rookies and younger guys breaks. Heck, even giving Seager and Haniger a break to rest their “old” bodies would be good if we are series about making a run down the stretch.
There are two groups that I’m going to break them up into. Those who have experience with the big league club already, and those that don’t. Should be pretty simple, so let’s get started.
Big league experience already
- Donovan Walton
- Jose Marmelejos
- Justin Grimm
- Jimmy Yacabonis
- Justus Sheffield
- Justin Dunn
Okay, so the last two are kind of cheating, but the point stands. Sheffield doesn’t technically count, since he is doing rehab starts and is still on the MLB roster, but he would be an addition regardless. Justin Dunn, on the other hand, is on the 60-day. He would be an actual return and new roster spot.
Both of them could be additions to the pen, although Sheffield is a lot closer than Dunn. The other pitchers that could make appearances would be Justin Grimm or Jimmy Yacabonis. Each has plenty of MLB experience, and have been pitching well in Tacoma this year. It never hurts to grab extra arms for the pen, especially as pitchers tire out from playing the full year.
At the plate, I would love to see the return of Donovan Walton. He’s been up a handful of times this year, and it would be neat to see him get an extended look. He’s hitting .321 in Tacoma with a low strikeout rate and nine home runs, and could be great depth and relief for the roster, whether in the infield or at a corner outfield spot.
Then, there is Marmo. Fans all over have been clamoring for him to come back up, and for good reason. He’s hitting .363 for Tacoma, with 23 home runs and 12 doubles in just 248 ABs. The Mariners could use more pop in their lineup, and Marmo could be the answer.
Haven’t been in the Majors (for the Mariners) before
- Ray Kerr
- Jantzen Witte
- Brian O’Keefe
- Brian Schlitter
- Zack Weiss
There are tons of options for players that the Mariners could bring up. Heck, they could even jump Tacoma and bring someone straight up from Arkansas. Maybe someone like Steven Moyers or Tyler Herb.
For now, I want to focus on the five listed. The top of my list is the two that I think could benefit the team the most. Ray Kerr was moved to a bullpen role for this year and has been outstanding. He just moved up to AAA, and since he turns 27 in a couple of weeks, it wouldn’t be a huge stretch to pull him up to the Mariners. Oh… did I mention he easily touches 99-100?
Ray Kerr throwing 99 as he strikes out the side in the 6th. This kid will pitch in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/tRfzBRk5Ln
— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) August 20, 2021
Yeah, he’s got some great stuff and would be a lot of fun to watch.
Then, there is Jantzen Witte, a journeyman who can play anywhere on the field. He’s having a great year in 2021 at age-31, hitting .302/.363/.468, with 12 HR and 14 2B. Picking someone like Witte up could be a nice darkhorse move since he can play any spot in the infield, as well as corner outfield. Why not grab another super-utility guy?
Murphy has been hitting better lately, but grabbing another catcher wouldn’t be awful. O’Keefe has shown great numbers this season in the minors, hitting .282/.355/.508 with 19 HR and 13 2B across AA and AAA this year (he’s actually slugging .508 at both levels, which is insanely cool). He’s a great fielder with a decent arm and could spell Raleigh if he struggles.
Brian Schlitter and Zack Weiss could be bullpen options as well. Schlitter is 35, and has been around plenty of teams. With a 2.51 ERA at Tacoma this year in 27 appearances, he could be a lightning in a bottle type call-up, catching him at the right time.
With Weiss, he’s got high K potential, with a 10.5 K/9 rate this year in 20 appearances in Tacoma. He’s thrown in just one appearance in the majors, and let me say this. as long as he gets an out, it’ll be his best MLB appearance.
It’ll be fun to watch and see what the Mariners come up with, and who they decide to bring up for September. It’s unlikely to be any of the young guys (sorry Brash and Williamson fans), but will likely be players already on the 40-man roster. Otherwise, you might see some older guys on there DFA’d to make room. Keep an eye out early next week to see what happens.