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3 deserving Mariners who are going to be squeezed off of the Opening Day roster
The season is right around the corner, and roster cuts continue to approach that final number. Here are 3 deserving Mariners who won't start in Seattle
Less than a week away. That's how close we are to the start of the season for the Seattle Mariners. Technically the season has already started as of the middle of the night between the 19th and the 20th when the Dodgers and the Padres started off in Korea as the MLB season kicked off with the Seoul Series. The Mariners did this a while back, playing Oakland in Japan to start the year, and I remember how odd it was watching games that early in the morning.
The Mariners just have a normal start this year, once again starting their season with home games as they welcome the Boston Red Sox to town. Roster decisions are still being made, as many a player is wondering where they are going to start their season. Have they done enough to earn the call to Seattle to don a big league jersey on March 28th? Or will they instead start the season down in Arkansas or Tacoma with either the AA or AAA team?
Some players just haven't done enough to make it. Others are making it, possibly, because of injuries that require them to fill in for a while, with the final group battling it out for what seems like a final spot. The Mariners are in a bit of a different situation than years past. They seem to have a true backup catcher in Zavala who is only going to be in the lineup when he fills that role. They also have a full-time DH in Mitch Garver. It limits flexibility more than years past.
Guys like Tyson Miller and Jhonathan Diaz have a better chance to make the roster because of the injuries that could keep Bazardo, Brash, and Santos off the roster to start the season. They'll need relievers, and those guys could earn spots.
What about the ones who might get squeezed out though? That's what we are going to look at today, as we take a glance at some of the Mariners who might get squeezed out of a starting roster spot, even if they seem like they deserve one. Also, I'm leaving Sam Haggerty out of this. As much as I like Swags, it just doesn't seem like there is a spot for him right now with the UTIL players and OF that this team has that seems to be ahead of him.
Brian Anderson
Brian Anderson has been around for a while, and it seems like a good place to start by looking at a veteran with a 7-year MLB career. Anderson found mild to decent success in his first 5 years in the bigs, all with the Marlins. He would post a .263/.347/.423 slash over that time frame with an OPS+ of 109 and an OPS of 770, both better-than-average numbers.
He even showed that he had power, blasting 20 HR in the 2019 season for the Marlins, doing it in just 126 games. It was his best full season, at least by WAR standards as he tallied a 3.3 WAR. 2020 may have been even better if it was allowed to be a full season, as he would post a 1.8 WAR in 59 games, hitting 11 HR and further showing that he had power to go along with a decent average.
2022 and 2023 were not nice to Anderson, and he ended up playing in Milwaukee last season. He's now fighting for a job with the Mariners, and has been doing all that he can this Spring to prove he deserves a shot. With a .318/.423/.682, he's going to earn a hard look by Servais and crew if the Mariners need another body for third if Urias is hurt or struggling (or both).
Taylor Trammell
The former top-20 prospect, Trammell is actually going to be playing his age-26 season. This is sort of the point in a young player's career where they either figure it out or spend the rest of their career toiling as a AAAA player. Someone who bounces around between multiple teams, crushing it in AAA but struggling whenever they get to the majors.
I really hope that isn't the case for Trammell, but I'm worried that's what is approaching. Over the last three seasons, we have seen batting averages of .160, .196, .130 during his three stops in the majors. However, it looks like he might've figured it out a bit, as he has been doing alright in Spring Training so far.
The K rate is a bit high, but he is hitting .280/.379/.360. I'm not worried about the lack of power, as he has shown an ISO rate and a HR rate above league average in his career. However, Trammell is out of options. Are the Mariners going to give him that one last chance in the majors? Or, do they risk their chances by keeping him of the roster and seeing if he ends up on another organization?
Samad Taylor
Ugh. This is the one that worries me the most and is why I saved it for last. It seemed odd that the Royals so easily gave up Samad Taylor earlier in the offseason to the Mariners, as he had done quite well in the minors, even if he struggled in his brief debut in the show with them. He's 25 this season, and it seemed like they may have given up on him a year early.
The Mariners have taken full advantage, and so has Taylor. So far this Spring, we have seen Taylor hit two homers, steal three bases, and hit an impressive .310/.364/.552 with just a 21% K rate.
Oh, and he's a UTIL too. Like Dylan Moore. Which, oddly enough, is where the problem lies. The Mariners lineup/roster is different than years past. A full-time DH and a few guys who need rest for injury concerns. Where does Taylor fit? You have 2 catchers + a DH. 3 infielders + Rojas/Urias. Julio, Haniger, Raley, Canzone in the OF. That makes 12 already. Chances are, the team only has one more bench bat.
Do they do something with Dylan Moore? He's long been a part of this team, always flashes impressive upside with a speed+power combo that's ever-so tempting, but also has injury and consistency concerns. I honestly dream of seeing Moore put it together for a season, knowing that somewhere in there is a 15 HR/30 SB with a .250 BA season. He's also got a legit MLB contract, which makes the decision a little tougher.
I worry that the Mariners keep Moore up, and send Taylor down. Taylor could be a fantastic addition to this team. Late inning speed and defense, and true speed. Moore and Haggerty are fast, but Taylor is FAST. Unfortunately, unless Moore is traded or we see some odd roster shuffling, it seems like he could be forced off the roster by it's current construction.