The Mariners have claimed infielder Kaleb Cowart off waivers from the Angels. Notably, the Seattle club referred to Cowart as an infielder and right-handed pitcher in its announcement. He’ll “come to Spring Training as a two-way player,” per the M’s.
Cowart has never taken the hill as a professional. But he was an accomplished high-school pitcher, a fact with which Mariners GM (and former Angels GM) Jerry Dipoto is obviously familiar.
Since he was taken with the 18th overall pick of the 2010 draft, Cowart has generally fallen shy of hopes. He’s only a .177/.241/.293 hitter through 380 plate appearances. That said, Cowart has shown somewhat more promise at the Triple-A level, where he carries a .298/.361/.469 batting line in 1,402 trips to the plate over the past four campaigns.
HAHA enjoy him!!
Is there some other deadline I’m not aware of? Why are so many players getting claimed today?
Some teams might be opening up spots for the Rule 5 draft.
Other than that, I don’t know.
That.
Let’s play a game. Is the next post yet another claim? If so by which team?
I’m gonna say yes and the Padres.
I got Tampa
I’ve gotta guess the Giants or Rangers. Lots of open roster spots, both need depth.
Detroit
Gonna go for it and say Cleaveland
Looks like we all lost. It’s the signing of Tyson Ross.
But it was by Detroit so Chase is the closest.
Dipoto’s fav
Trade Haniger already
As an M’s fan I wish he would.
Oh frigg off man. Some mariners fan hahah. Yes yes “the return he would get” only makes sense to Atlanta. They’re the only farm system worth acting on.
Padres and Tampa Bay too
No big loss
I long ago said the Angels should have tried him as RP. Cannon for an arm, talented fielder, but doesn’t hit MLB pitching. He was a pitcher when he was drafted, I think.
yes, he was one of the top HS pitchers in the country when drafted. I have thought for years to move him over to pitching.
It’s all coming together for DiPoto…
:/
i wish the Angels would have had him try pitching, he was a prolific HS pitcher. It just seemed like every time we’d give up on him he’d have a little hot streak and they’d keep him as a position player..
Best of wishes to great guy who just hasn’t panned out.
Cowart was drafted #18 overall in 2010 with the M’s pick they had to give to the Angels for signing CHONE FIGGINS!! P.S. The next pick in that draft was M.Foltynewicz and 4 picks after that was C.Yelich.!!! Way to go M’s!!!
You can say this about so many players, though.
The Royals took Brian Matusz the pick directly before Buster Posey.
The White Sox took Jared Mitchell and the Astros took Giovanni Mier just a few picks before the Angels to Mike Trout.
This is just two examples to show how the draft, in many ways, can be a total crapshoot.
I was curious, so I looked over the first round of the 2009 Draft… it was bad for a lot of teams.
Combined WAR for all 1st Round Picks: 223.5
Combined WAR of Mike Trout & Stephen Strasburg: 95.4. Those two account for 43% of the career Wins of the 1st Round.
No other draft from 2000-2014 was that lopsided.
Yeah, that was just a P.S. note, my point is this guy was drafted as the comp for signing Figgins(which most people knew at the time was just a terrible sign)
If I’m Seattle, this is a perfect gamble, actually. Cowart probably is not going to be what people thought he was going to be when he was the top HS player when he got drafted, but he has developed into a very glove-y utility guy who can fit everywhere (and if he can pitch occasionally too, it’d be a nice addendum). Maybe a Cliff Pennington who can pitch, if the experiment goes well? Not someone to rely on too much, but certainly a useful bench piece if the experiment works out well, and since Seattle is going nowhere next year or two, why not?
Spot on. Apt assessment.
But can he outhit Andrew Romine? I figured everyone on this planet could till I saw Kalebs stats…
Well, fwiw, minor league stats are comparable, exc for more power by Cowart. Still, not exactly impressive numbers in AA and above until a couple of years ago when he tweaked his swing and had a good run that got him to the majors off and on. That probably was not a good thing for his career since Angels were already planning to convert him to a pitcher at the time, which was never seriously tried….
I think you meant to say “Seattle is going nowhere in the next year or twenty”…..
Cowart a 2 Way Player? He’s not even a 1/2 Way Player.
defense matters
Yup. Just loved the way he took wrong angles on ground balls at 2B. Unfortunately, they don’t give errors for being hopeless in getting to a ground ball.
2 way player? This whole hitting thing hasn’t worked out in the big leagues so maybe he should just become a RP.
2019 Homerun King
Well, he already hits like a pitcher might as well try and throw like one.
Ha ha. I liked that one!
New Mariners closer
This guy has never pitched professionally? He will fit right in with the Mariners!!
Another Dan Vogelbach. A AAAA player. Elite move.
would be the best relief pitcher on the Angels.