Mariners reliever unearths horrific social media behavior after Phillies sweep

Seattle Mariners reliever Tayler Saucedo saw a difficult day on Wednesday take a dark turn, as his outing against the Philadelphia Phillies resulted in someone sending him a vile threat on social media.

The threat was made by a user called "Gilbert’s GoonSquad" on Instagram and subsequently shared by Saucedo on X. The sender's post reads, in part, that they “hope your [expletive] head gets blown off to pieces walking in Philly," and that his significant other "also dying would be awesome as well.”

Tayler Saucedo responds to threatening messages to himself and his girlfriend

Saucedo, a 32-year-old left-hander who has spent the last three seasons in the Mariners organization, responded with a lengthy post of his own:

"I understand wanting me gone after today and this year as a whole. Nobody is more disappointed with how this year has gone for me than myself. Trust me i want to win just as much as all of you whether im here or not. But messaging me this [expletive] and my girlfriend and sending this stuff is beyond baseball. It’s insane how comfortable people are sending this stuff to not only me but my partner. Tell me I suck all you want that’s fine but at some point we gotta get a grip."

Tayler Saucedo on X

Saucedo's girlfriend, Kelsie Scott, also received threats on Instagram, according to Matt Ehalt of the New York Post. She claims they are related to sports betting, writing in one post: “Each vile message contain reasoning of losing money based on the game. All I can say is — maybe stop gambling money you don’t have to lose."

If so, these threats are part of a growing problem for Major League Baseball. A poll of 133 players by The Athletic found that 78 percent of respondents feel the legalization of sports betting has changed how fans interact with players. One spoke of getting a Venmo request from a bettor who had lost money, while Lance McCullers, Liam Hendriks, and Lucas Giolito are among those who have also spoken out about receiving death threats on social media.

Saucedo was a dependable presence in the Mariners bullpen in 2023 and 2024, making 105 appearances with a 3.54 ERA. This season has been more challenging, as he missed time with a lat strain and has spent much of the year with Triple-A Tacoma. After allowing five runs while recording just one out in Seattle’s 11-2 loss on Wednesday — the last of three straight defeats in Philadelphia — his ERA as a Mariner sits at 11.05 through seven appearances.

Former Mariners outfielder Mike Cameron urged Saucedo to "turn off your responses and focus on baseball" in response to the lefty's original X post on Wednesday. Other X users did as well, prompting a follow-up from Saucedo:

"I didn’t get to where I am today because I only reveled in praise but because I got real comfortable with failure," reads the conclusion of the post. "I won’t let a few bad apples ruin that for me and everyone else I’ve gotten to know since my time here. I’ve already played 9 innings with my mental health and won that, so there’s nothing people can tell me that I’ve already told myself. With anything we keep it moving forward! Thank you all for the love as always. Go Mariners always!"

Following an off day on Thursday, Saucedo and the Mariners are scheduled to be back in action at T-Mobile Park on Friday night against the Athletics. They will begin the game in line to make the playoffs via the American League's third wild card spot.