SEATTLE -- The Mariners made one of their bolder roster moves of the season so far on Monday, at least in the context of how much money they could be on the hook for after designating Leody Taveras for assignment, a little over one month after claiming him off waivers from the Rangers. Moving on from the struggling outfielder, in the midst of a 6-12 stretch entering Monday that’s seen Seattle lose its grasp of first place in the American League West, signals that the Mariners mean business when it comes to this seven-week window leading into the July 31 Trade Deadline. But they also could find themselves paying for some of their personnel decisions when the Deadline approaches -- quite literally. When they claimed Taveras, the Mariners absorbed the remainder of his $4.75 million salary at the time, and they’ll be on the hook for the prorated portion for what’s left in 2025, unless he’s claimed by another club. Although that could happen -- it’s also possible that the Mariners find a trade partner to take him, though eating some of that money would probably be part of negotiations -- the more likely outcome is that Taveras will clear waivers and accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Tacoma, as to not forfeit the remainder of his salary. |
If so, he’d be a reserve if needed again in the Majors. But the club recalling Dominic Canzone to take Taveras’ spot could show that they’re going to give the slugger runway in right field until Luke Raley returns from a right oblique strain. Raley said on Seattle’s last homestand that he hoped to begin a Minor League rehab assignment this week. Taveras was worth minus-1.0 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs, and 32 wRC+ (league average is 100) in 28 games with the Mariners, and his defense also took a big dip -- never more glaring than when he replaced Julio Rodríguez after an injury scare on Saturday in Anaheim. When Taveras was claimed, a source with knowledge of the club’s thinking told MLB.com that taking on his contract would impact their Trade Deadline budget -- but also, that remaining in first place could boost that budget. Within what’s expected to be a seller’s market, the Mariners’ logic was to try and jump the market by acquiring the 26-year-old, who was less than two years removed from being a key cog in the Rangers’ World Series title run. But now the Mariners found themselves entering the week trailing the Astros by 2 1/2 games for first place and were 1 1/2 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot. And they’re paying a notable amount to another player who’s not on their 40-man roster: Mitch Haniger, who’s earning $15.5 million this year and has not signed with another team since being released on March 23. |
Meanwhile, Donovan Solano, who signed a $3.5 million free-agent deal in January, has seen his leash dwindle mightily, entering Monday with just 25 at-bats over the past month. Mitch Garver, who’s in the final year of a two-year, $24 million deal, has a clearer role as Seattle's backup catcher, but that could become compromised if the club were to call up top prospect Harry Ford. It’d be imprudent to put the situation’s entire onus on president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander, who had a finite amount of payroll room last offseason to work with (roughly $15 million) -- and as such, were forced to make more marginal moves despite other free agents, albeit significantly more expensive ones, being available. Including Taveras and Haniger, the Mariners’ projected year-end 40-man payroll is around $153 million, per Cots Baseball Contracts, after reaching $143 million last year. Dipoto and Hollander don’t comment on payroll, on or off the record, but the 2024 number wasn’t expected to take a significant spike in ‘25. There’s still time for the Mariners to rebound in the standings as the Deadline approaches -- and they’ll need to, if they’re hoping to be the aggressive buyers that everyone has expected them to be. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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RALEIGH GETS FIRST OFF-DAY |
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At long last, Cal Raleigh finally had his first off-day in 2025. The Mariners’ all-world catcher was out of the starting lineup -- and unlike in his previously scheduled off-day last month in Sacramento -- he remained on the bench throughout Sunday’s win in Anaheim. Purposefully keeping MLB’s home-run leader sidelined seems like a significant quandary, especially given that for most of the past three weeks, Seattle’s offense has been a one-man show. The club has tried to allocate him days at designated hitter to alleviate his workload at the sport’s most demanding position, but those days also don’t allow him to completely unplug. “You’ve got to be smart about it,” said Mariners manager Dan Wilson, himself a former catcher. Raleigh said from the outset of Spring Training that he anticipated another demanding season, after playing in 153 games last year (135 at catcher). But still, the Mariners will try to strike a balance. “I think this is what we envision going forward,” Wilson said. “Obviously, we want to be careful to give him the rest so that he can sustain what he’s been doing,” Wilson said. “It’s give and take. It’s a tough call, but at the same time you know you’re doing it for the right reasons.” In related Raleigh news, check out the lengthy video narrated by MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince on the ascent of “Big Dumper.” Watch » |
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JULIO RECOUNTS HARROWING EXPERIENCE |
Julio Rodríguez over the weekend addressed the targeted burglary he was a victim of last month that was made public earlier in the afternoon by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Seattle, which were part of multiple charges against the suspect that also included two robberies at the home of Mariners teammate Luis Castillo and an attempted burglary at the home of Edgar Martinez. More » |
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Mariners special events Check out everything on deck at T-Mobile Park. Buy tickets » • Sing-Along Fireworks Night presented by T-Mobile -- June 13 vs. Guardians • African American Heritage Night: Steelheads Cap Giveaway -- June 14 vs. Guardians • Father’s Day socks giveaway presented by Muckleshoot Casino Resort -- June 15 vs. Guardians • Red Sox vs. Mariners: Monday, June 16 – Wednesday, June 18 Buy Tickets » Mariners Suites Whether you’re celebrating a graduation or gathering with friends & family, a Mariners Suite is the perfect spot to host your group this summer. Enjoy first-class catering, VIP entry & parking and more. Book Now » Mariners Flex Memberships Summer is in the air, and it’s not too late to come on board as a Season Ticket Member. With a Flex Plan, you can choose your games and seats as you go while still enjoying perks like no ticket fees and more. Learn more » |
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