Mariners add another name to the roster competition by adding Samad Taylor in trade with Royals

Just one day after acquiring Jorge Polanco to serve as their starting second baseman, the Mariners front office added another name to their roster competition after acquiring Samad Taylor from the Kansas City Royals.

Spending the majority of his 2023 season with the Omaha Storm Chasers in AAA, Taylor slashed .302/.418/.466 over 414 plate appearances, hitting 23 doubles and eight home runs along the way. He saw some time at the major league level but didn't leave much of an impression over 69 plate appearances. His highlight of the season was a walk-off hit against the Angels in June.

With a utility profile similar to Dylan Moore and Sam Haggerty, Taylor is also capable of playing in the outfield as well as at second base, splitting time almost evenly between the two roles with the Royals. With two options remaining and at just 25 years old, he'll likely start off the season with the Tacoma Rainiers in AAA before receiving his call-up.

It's going to make for an interesting competition, as the Mariners have added a true speed threat to their team, well another one that is, and one who is younger than both Moore and Haggerty. It's a sneaky move by the front office to get him for either cash or a PTBNL, potentially capitalizing on a Royals team that needed to make space. Their new acquisition, former Mariner Adam Frazier, and thus didn't charge an exorbitant price for Taylor's services.

As the Mariners get closer to Spring Training, expect to see Taylor's name involved in a lot of the "position battle" pieces that come out and rumors that fly around. He's going to get a chance to prove himself in Spring Training being on the 40-man, and a hot Spring could mean big things for the newest Mariner.