Could the Mariners grab players from other teams who are out of minor league options?

Former top prospects Jo Adell and Joey Bart are out of options

Jo Adell was once a top-10 prospect in all of baseball, but he just has not figured it out yet at the major league level. Like old friend Jarred Kelenic, Adell just has not lived up to the hype. He has a slash line in his career of .214/.259/.366/.625 with an OPS+ of just 71, making him roughly 29% worse than a league-average player. He has stuck out in 35.4% of his at-bats while walking only 4.9% of the time. So, why should the Mariners be interested?

The Mariners could be on the lookout for a right-handed hitting corner outfielder to platoon with the plethora of lefty outfielders the Mariners already have on their roster. Adell could be used on the weak side platoon with any of Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone, Cade Marlowe, or Taylor Trammell. They do have Mitch Haniger, who can handle that job. But with Haniger's injury issues, would it be the worst thing to take a chance on Adell, should he be available?

Adell is still just 24, though he will turn 25 on April 8th. Adell has been one of those typical AAAA players, too good for AAA, but not good enough for the Majors. In 2023 down in AAA, Adell hit .273/.375/586/.961 with 24 home runs and 9 stolen bases. He still struck out about 31% of the time, though. He was more selective at the dish, walking at a 14% clip. If he were to take more walks and reduce the strikeouts some, Adell could be a good player. Will he ever live up to the prospect hype? Probably not. But I still think there is some untapped potential in there.

Much like Jo Adell, Joey Bart was once a former top prospect. Bart was the second overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants out of high school. Both he and Adell have had a similar MLB career so far. Unlike Adell, though, I actually expect Joey Bart to be placed on waivers before Opening Day. The Giants liked what they saw out of 2023 rookie Patrick Bailey at catcher, and they also brought in former Mariner Tom Murphy to back him up. Unless the Giants rock with 3 catchers, Bart will be on his way out of San Francisco.

Why should the Mariners take a chance on him? Seattle already has enough catchers at the Major League level. Cal Raleigh has shown that he is one of the top catchers in baseball, and the team just traded for his new backup, Seby Zavala, this offseason. Taking a flyer on Bart has less to do with Bart, and more to do with the backup catcher position. Zavala is not exactly a world beater, and Bart still may have some untapped potential.

Bart has struggled as a Major Leaguer so far in his career. He has a career line of .219/.288/.335/.623 in 457 at-bats. His OPS+ of 75 is not good at all, making him just 3/4 of a league-average player. Like Adell, he has struck out in over 35% of his at-bats. His career OPS+ is better than Zavala's (72), and they strike out about the same. Personally, I think Bart would be the better backup, and this is a move I would love the Mariners to make.