The Mariners announced a series of roster moves today, recalling outfielder Jarred Kelenic and selecting the contract of catcher Luis Torrens. In corresponding moves, outfielder Taylor Trammell was optioned to Triple-A while infielder/outfielder Jake Lamb was designated for assignment.
Torrens, 26, had a strong season for Seattle last year but struggled to carry that forward into 2022. He was hitting .214/.262/.252 in August, producing a wRC+ of just 53. For a catcher with a bat-first reputation, that was clearly not cutting it, leading the club to designate him for assignment. Torrens cleared waivers and was outrighted but will now return to the club just over a month later to get another crack at things. The M’s already have a couple of catchers in Curt Casali and Cal Raleigh, though Raleigh has missed a few games this week due to thumb soreness. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times also adds that Casali is expected to go on paternity leave soon, compounding the need for some extra depth behind the plate.
Lamb, 31, began the year with the Dodgers but was traded to Seattle just prior to the deadline. He hit .239/.338/.433 for a wRC+ of 120 in Los Angeles but hasn’t been able to carry that up the coast with him. He’s hit just .167/.265/.300 since joining the Mariners, producing a wRC+ of 70. Due to that tepid showing, he’ll relinquish his roster spot to Torrens.
Of course, outside the 40-man roster implications, today’s moves also carry intrigue for Seattle given that they are swapping out a pair of young outfielders. Kelenic, 23, arrived with much fanfare in May of 2021 as one of the top prospects in the sport, but struggled in his first taste of MLB action. He’s been bounced on and off the club’s major league roster ever since but always scuffling in the bigs. Through 133 major league games so far, he has a batting line of .167/.246/.329 for a wRC+ of 63. He’s been on a heater in Triple-A this year, however, showcasing why he’s always been considered such an exciting young player. In 86 games for Tacoma this season, he’s hit 18 long balls and stolen nine bases, creating a batting line of .295/.365/.557 for a wRC+ of 123. Of course, he’s often hit well but then struggled after a major league promotion, but he’ll now get another chance to break that cycle.
The Mariners have been scuffling a bit lately but are still in good position to break their 21-year postseason drought. They are holding onto the final AL Wild Card spot at the moment, five games ahead of the Orioles with just two weeks left on the schedule. If Kelenic brings his hot bat up to the majors, he could both give the club a boost down the stretch and earn himself a spot on the playoff roster.
There is still hope for the playoffs, and Torrens and Kelenic either one can be a force in the few games that remain in the season. The going gets easier now, also.
Torrens made a jury rig fix with that monster size hole under his legs. If he can keep it up and still hit he will be a component C. Not sure I believe it is long term. He seems a bit lazy to me but that might just have been not getting his glove down to block the ball or instead of sliding over to block a ball just stuck his glove out. I think too many pitchers got WPs instead of PBs because he stuck his glove out.
Kelenic will be very interesting. Can he not be so hard on himself and chill or will he lose it when he Ks or the ump calls a K when he thought B. If he can hit like he has in AAA we can use him in post season if we get there. The way they are playing now looks a bit iffy.
I was hoping they’d leave Kelenic down until next year when they ban the shift. I believe it the guy, think he’ll be a great player. just think he could us a little more time away.
Trammel has just looked lost since his call up though, and Kelenic really deserves another look. Honestly I like both kids, but the lineup needs a little juice right now.
There is iron in your words . . .
Seems to be a trend of hitters struggling to live up to their potential in Seattle. Does the hitter friendly PCL skew their projections or is there a problem with the big league team’s hitting approach? I don’t get to watch enough West Coast baseball to form a strong opinion. Any Mariners’ fans have input?
IDK some kids struggle with adjustments some some are able to adapt. Julio has been a star and Haggerty has been solid, Haniger broke out with the M’s after bouncing back and forth with AZ. between the minors and big league squad.
The Mariners have had difficulty developing hitting through their minor league system. Been an issue for years prior to Julio. Clement, Lopez, Ackley, Franklin, Zunino, Miller, White, Montero, Smoak to name a few. Team full of Lastings Milledge.
I believe all of those prospects you named were drafted by the old regime. We still are not producing a lot of bats but we also have a couple on the way as Dipoto focused more on pitching in his first couple of drafts
I cannot overstate how important it is for the long-term health of this organization that Kelenic pans out. He doesn’t need to be a star, just as a solid regular. Having significantly reduced the talent pool in the minors, the Mariners can’t continue to trade for starting-caliber players. 6 years of a low-salaried contributor will help this team stay a contender, given numerous spots need to be addressed in FA.
I really hope he figures out how to hit a breaking ball. That .053 BA and .058 xBA isn’t gonna cut it.
Kelenic was a bigger prospect than Julio Rodriguez, I thought he would be a star after seeing him in the Arizona Fall League, hopefully he does better this time around
Quite a few Braves fans wanted AA to go after Lamb instead of Grossman at the trade deadline. Another instance of him either making a better call, having no interest, or just getting lucky. Any of the 3 work for me.