Mariners call up a surprising first baseman to fill the Ty France void

After losing their top spot in the AL West to the dreaded Houston Astros, the Mariners are now even with them atop the division and are more hard-pressed to make big changes to their lineup. It will take a while before a major transaction happens on the trade front but for now, Seattle is trying to get better with what they have. In the team's latest move, they called up Jason Vosler and have correspondingly optioned Ryan Bliss back to Triple-A.

The Mariners have called up Jason Vossler

Vosler is no stranger to the big leagues and made his debut with the Giants in 2021. After 258 plate appearances with San Francisco and most recently Cincinnati, he signed a minor league contract with Seattle before the start of the 2024 season. He has been solid thus far in Triple-A, slashing .289/.357/.526 with 17 doubles and 20 home runs over 393 plate appearances. He has spent the majority of his time at first base although he's gotten some reps in right field as well.

This move comes across as a clear short-term solution to the team's recent decision to place Ty France on irrevocable outright waivers. After a shaky year with inconsistent productivity, Seattle's front office decided to move on from their first baseman. The decision made sense given France's underwhelming .662 OPS and 94 OPS+ combined with the team's desperate need for more of an offensive presence.

Unless Vosler is able to really outperform his expectations, don't expect him to stick around for very long. His career OPS at the big-league level is .687 and he was never able to find playing time every day. That being said, the team will need to upgrade nearly every bat in the infield given that their current offerings are all hitting below average, so he may, at the very least, be able to help the front office prioritize other positions come July 30th.