Mariners' low-upside Brendan Donovan replacement won't inspire much confidence

The last thing the Mariners needed was an injury to Brendan Donovan, but you could have hoped their first move in that situation would have been to call up Colt Emerson. Instead, we're getting Will Wilson.

This is not to suggest, full-stop, that the Mariners erred in not using Donovan's placement on the 10-day IL on Monday as an excuse to call up Emerson. He may be MLB Pipeline's No. 7 prospect, but he's also dealing with a wrist issue in his own right. And besides, Donovan isn't expected to be out for very long.

The situation didn't call for a replacement. It called for a stopgap. Heck, a warm body. Wilson really only needs to be there in case something happens to Leo Rivas, who will take over as the de facto regular at third base while Donovan is out.

Will Wilson is a textbook case of organizational depth at this stage of his career

Hey, at least Wilson's pro career began with real promise. He was the Angels' No. 15 pick in the 2019 draft, at which time he was billed as one of the best hitters among college middle infielders, with above-average raw power to boot.

Wilson ended up in the Giants system by way of a Zack Cozart salary dump later that year, and Baseball America had him rated as the club's No. 10 prospect two years later in 2021. By the following year, though, his outlook had been downgraded to a potential super-utility player.

This part scans, as Wilson has over 100 games of experience at second base, third base and shortstop for his minor league career. He just hasn't hit. A .706 career OPS in the minors doesn't give anyone bragging rights, much less a former first-round pick.

Wilson's only major league experience was 34 games with the Guardians last year, in which he hit .192 with 34 strikeouts in 78 at-bats. He subsequently signed with the Mariners as a minor league free agent, and he was hitting a good-not-great .275 for Triple-A Tacoma.

If not Emerson, it's fair to wonder why the Mariners didn't call on Ryan Bliss to take Donovan's spot. He's not hitting well (.148 AVG, .437 OPS) with Tacoma, but at least he's a known quantity with a versatile glove and good speed. Given how short Donovan's IL stint is likely to be, the Mariners probably didn't want to end up having to burn one of the two minor league options Bliss has left.

Situations like these are why you get guys like Wilson. It's about building out organizational depth and adding layers of security. But at the end of the day, nobody should be blind to the fact that he's with the Mariners now because he was the best choice, but the least risky one.

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