Huge 2025 Mariners bust just can't stop confusing the heck out of Seattle fans

Given all the good things that happened for the Mariners in 2025, it's easy (and arguably recommended) to forget that they paid Leody Taveras $3.7 million just to get -0.6 WAR out of him. It's no wonder they DFA'd him, whereas it very much is a wonder that he's been solid ever since.

Taveras is in the news right now, albeit as a minor player in the story of what Guardians rookie Parker Messick did on Thursday. He took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Orioles, only to have Taveras break it up with a soft but clean single into right field.

With that, Taveras is now 12-for-32 with seven walks on the young season. That works out to a .375 average and a .487 OBP, which might have Mariners fans wondering if this is the same Leody Taveras as the one they saw last year. As in, the one who basically punished the Mariners for being so desperate as to claim him from the Rangers just because they needed an outfielder.

Leody Taveras may be proving that Seattle wasn't the change of scenery he needed

To say that Taveras was abysmal in 28 games as a Mariner would be putting it mildly. He hit just .174 with 27 strikeouts against three walks. Despite the small sample size, his final WAR output ended up being second-worst on the team to Rowdy Tellez.

The funny thing is that Taveras did eventually hit in the Mariners organization, just not for the big club. After he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma, he immediately began trolling the Mariners with a warm bat for the Rainiers. All told, he finished with an .804 OPS in 81 games.

That performance could explain why he was able to get a major league deal with the Orioles in free agency, even if it is for only $2 million. Using him as an everyday center fielder surely wasn't Plan A, but an injury to Tyler O'Neill (himself a former Mariners prospect) has forced him into that role.

You have to hand it to Taveras for taking the opportunity and running with it, and one supposes there have been bigger surprises in MLB history. He was a solid two-way center fielder for a World Series-winning Rangers squad in 2023, and he's still only 27 years old.

Meanwhile in Seattle, it's not like the Mariners are missing out. The outfield has been a productive part of a generally cold offense, with Randy Arozarena (.824 OPS) and Luke Raley (1.002 OPS) both swinging it well. Julio Rodríguez isn't, but the jig is up that he needs a long runway to getting his bat going.

As such, we'll fall back on the read that Taveras' flop in Seattle wasn't a case of him not being right for the Mariners. It looks more like a case of the Mariners not being right for him.

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