Mariners could be haunted by former slugger after he joins AL West rival

The Seattle Mariners made what was a sensible decision on June 20, designating first baseman Rowdy Tellez for assignment to make room for the return of Luke Raley from the injured list.

At face value, the decision was justifiable. Tellez slashed .208/.249/.434 across 47 games for Seattle, launching 11 home runs and driving in 27 runs, but his production came with many flaws. He struck out in over a quarter of his plate appearances (26.5 percent) and drew walks just 4.3 percent of the time. His -0.6 WAR underscored the inconsistencies in his game — offering power, yes, but little else in terms of production.

But now, that “correct” baseball decision could come back to bite the Mariners.

AL West rival snags former Mariners slugger in potential revenge plot

Following his release from the Mariners, Tellez landed with their division rival, the Texas Rangers. While the veteran slugger is currently suiting up with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock, there’s a legitimate path back to the majors for Tellez if he starts mashing. And should he return to the big leagues — particularly with a chip on his shoulder — Seattle may find themselves on the wrong side of a revenge story.

This wouldn’t be the first time Tellez made his former team regret moving on from him. During his time with the Mariners, he had a dominant stretch against the team that drafted him — the Toronto Blue Jays. In just six games versus Toronto as a Mariner, Tellez belted four home runs and posted an astronomical 1.219 OPS. Overall, he has six homers and 16 RBIs in 13 career games against the Jays.

To date, he hasn't shown the same firepower against Seattle. Tellez holds a .206 average with a single homer and seven RBIs in 10 games against the Mariners. But context matters. Should the Rangers promote him, the opportunity to face his former club with something to prove might unlock another level of motivation.

For the Mariners, this is less about fearing what Tellez was in a Seattle uniform and more about what he could become for a division rival. Texas historically has a dangerous lineup when healthy, and Tellez, in a limited role or as a power bat off the bench, could add a new wrinkle if he gets hot.

This could all amount to nothing if Tellez remains in the minors or struggles to earn a call-up. But if he finds his way back to the AL West stage, the Mariners might be looking back on June 20 as a date that quietly planted the seeds for a divisional headache they never saw coming.