TODAY: The M’s officially announced Young’s selection and Miller’s reinstatement from the IL. Right-hander Casey Legumina and infielder Leo Rivas were optioned to Triple-A in corresponding 26-man roster moves, and righty Will Klein was designated for assignment to open up space for Young on the 40-man roster.
Klein made his MLB debut in 2024 and posted an 11.05 ERA over 7 1/3 combined innings with the Royals and Athletics. Sent to the A’s as part of the deadline deal that brought Lucas Erceg to Kansas City, Klein was then flipped to Seattle in another trade this past January.
MAY 30: The Mariners will promote top infield prospect Cole Young this weekend, reports Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. He is not yet on the 40-man roster, so the team will need to make a move in that regard. They’ll also need to create active roster space for Young and starting pitcher Bryce Miller, who’ll be reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start tomorrow’s game against the Twins.
A Pittsburgh-area native, Young signed with Seattle out of high school in 2022. He received a $3.3MM bonus as the 21st overall pick. Scouting reports praised a potential plus hit tool and ability to play somewhere up the middle. While Young doesn’t have huge power projection in a 5’11” frame, he was viewed as a very polished player for his age.
That has been borne out in his systematic progression through the minors. He reached base at a .399 clip between two A-ball levels in his first full professional season. Young spent all of last season in Double-A, batting .271/.369/.390 as a 20-year-old in a tough league for hitters. The M’s bumped him to the more favorable Pacific Coast League this season. Young has taken to it well, running a .278/.391/.463 slash with more walks than strikeouts in his first look at Triple-A pitching.
The lefty-hitting Young actually began his Triple-A career mired in a slump. He hit .200 without a home run over 25 games in April. He’s been on an absolute tear since the calendar flipped. Young has raked at a .370/.466/.680 clip over 118 plate appearances in May. He has connected on five home runs, 10 doubles and three triples among a total of 37 hits. He has added another 15 walks while striking out all of eight times.
Young couldn’t have done more this month to force his way to the big leagues. He has divided his time evenly between shortstop and second base this season. Baseball America wrote over the offseason that he’s likely better suited for second base because of average arm strength. That figures to be his long-term home in Seattle. They’re committed to J.P. Crawford at shortstop. The path to playing time at the keystone is much more open. Ryan Bliss will miss most of the season recovering from biceps surgery. Miles Mastrobuoni and Dylan Moore have split the second base work over the past few weeks.
Moore is having a strong year, though his bat has tailed off following a huge April. He’s a right-handed hitter with a long track record of producing against lefty pitching. Moore figures to take some starts at second base against southpaws, but he’s versatile enough that it doesn’t need to be a strict platoon. Moore can spell Leody Taveras in right field or play regularly at third base over rookie Ben Williamson, who is hitting .246/.278/.297 through his first 38 games. Mastrobuoni, acquired in an offseason DFA trade with the Cubs, carries a .221/.306/.284 line through 111 plate appearances. He’ll be bumped to a utility role if not optioned to Triple-A.
Young was a consensus Top 100 prospect over the offseason. He meets the criteria for the Prospect Promotion Incentive. If he plays well enough to finish in the top two in Rookie of the Year balloting, he could earn a full year of service time. A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson seems as if he’ll run away with the award, but the runner-up spot is still there for the taking. That would not earn the Mariners any kind of draft compensation, which only applies if the team carries a top prospect in the big leagues for at least 172 days.
If he doesn’t earn the top-two Rookie of the Year finish, Young will fall short of a full service year and remain under club control for at least six seasons beyond this one. He’d be well-positioned to qualify for early arbitration as a Super Two player during the 2027-28 offseason if he’s in the big leagues for good.
Badly needed. Hit .370 in May with a boatload of XBH. Give this floundering team a spark, please.
I’m going to continue to say it, the bullpen has cost us more than the lineup. However, this is the right move as it has been a hole at that position.
Yep, the bullpen has been atrocious. I like trying to fix 2B internally because if Young performs well enough to be a mainstay this season, it’s a lot easier and cheaper to trade for bullpen arms at the deadline than a starting-caliber 2B.
I just hope they don’t trade someone in the top 10 for a rental bullpen arm. Like throwing away Clase last year for Garcia. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 after his injury, but still.
My issue was less with the rental part and more with the quality of player–I didn’t see Yimi Garcia as a performance-altering addition. Either way, I agree that it was not the best handling of an asset, but I guess Jerry and co. thought he was a AAAA type and I kind of agree.
He should have already been up. These teams love to keep their talent down in the minors while the Miles Mastrobuonis of the world keep getting playing time.
Eh. Young had a lot to work on coming into this season. He needs to play every day and he wasn’t ready for that to start the season, so I don’t think this was service time manipulation or anything.
I don’t really view Mastrouboni as competition to him since he’s not an everyday player and is a clearly defined role player. It would have been a waste to replace MM with Young and have Young sit 3 days a week.
I don’t think it’s going to make a difference, Mariners are done after tonight’s game, a very disheartening loss.
Wow what happened they were cruising at 6-2
What happened is them being the Seattle Mariners, that’s all you need to know.
There’s over 100 games left lol
Doesn’t matter to me, they’re not that good. They’ve been playing well above their actual talent level.
The offense has, maybe. The pitching has played well below their actual talent level. The M’s have won 90, 88, and 85 games the last 3 seasons. They’re not much of a different team and are on a similar pace, so I’m not sure why you believe this. Meanwhile, the Astros have lost talent from 2024 and have incurred a plethora of devastating injuries, the Rangers offense is poor, the Angels are the Angels, and the A’s aren’t quite there yet. No idea why you think the M’s can’t hang in, even if they don’t ultimately win the division.
May 30.
Done by May 30th? Wow! That’s some world class cynicism. I feel sorry for you.
Have you been watching Mariners baseball the past 25 years like I have? I have every right to be negative after last night’s game.
Eeore has spoken. The season has been decided.
Pretty lame comment I hope you aren’t a Mariners fan
I am a Mariners fan, unfortunately. What reason do I have I have to think otherwise? They have been playing awful baseball since the sweep in San Diego sweep & they have been awful on these last 2 homestands. Pitching has been pretty bad & the offense is not that good, this team sucks.
Finally, a Young player. Moore is having a good year, but his errors have been costly (like tonight’s game). Hope he can be a spark plug. Astros have caught up…..for now.
The season is Young. Moore errors than last year. Other guys seem Miles behind. It’s Ben a fun season and about to get Rowdy! Rivas gets LEft Out here.
Dylan Moore at least contributes, but Mastrobuoni is indeed Miles behind.
Hopefully, this is the start of a long, great career. Who is the odd man out here? It’s gotta be Solano. Expecting another Casey Lawrence DFA as well since Bryce is back. Maybe Legumina since he’s been shelled this week.
We paid too much for Solano, it’s probably going to be Williamson optioned or mastrobuoni out
I don’t think they’re gonna be too worried about biting the bullet on a 3.5 million one year contract on a player who is just an empty spot in the lineup at this point. They have to pay it either way, so why not just release him instead of giving him at bats which becomes a strikeout or a groundout.
Little Leo Rivas probably sent down
Didn’t think of him. Yeah he’s more likely to be sent down over Miles or Moore. I still think it’s only a matter of time before Solano goes. He’s literally an empty spot in the lineup.
He’s hitting well the past 2 weeks.
I feel like you’ve also seen this movie before 🤔
God I would love for this to be a 1:1 Solano swap, but agree Mastro option more likely and then assume its Solano when Raley is back—which, thankfully, should be coming shortly too🤞
Then again, ballsiest thing they’ve done in a long time was release Haniger, so there’s at least a chance…
Lawerence DFA and Rivas sent down. Williamson is the 3B and no way sent down. Rivas, Mastrobuoni, and Moore are all utility guys and Rivas has options as well as has the least positional flexibility so hes the obvious guy to be sent down.
Lawrence DFA makes room on the 26 for Miller and on the 40 for Young. Rivas down to make room on the 26 for Young. Rivas has options and is mostly a second baseman. Mastrobuonis glove and versatility is his staying power.
Will Klein has to be a DFA candidate. He’s been terrible all year in Tacoma.
If it was me, it would be to DFA Mastrobuoni which handles both the 25 and 40 man roster spots needed.
At least Solano has proven to be a decent hitter in the past. Miles needs to be jettisoned to the minors for good.
We can really use another left handed bat, especially at 2nd or 3rd base because we do not have a lot of depth there at the major league level
I’ve been waiting for this guy for 3 years
None of our infielders hit for power other the Rowdy. We need to draft Aiva Arquette.. His size, power and position versatility would help the offense a lot.
In 2028.
Arquette is overrated. Oregon State never played meaningful games without being in a conference. Better power bats are available.
I like Arquette as a potential pick. He might see the majors before 2027 ends. He wouldn’t contribute much before 2028 though, if all goes right. (The M’s will probably pick a pitcher – after getting Woo, Miller, nd maybe even Evans so late in the draft, it might be hard for me to get super excited about taking a comparable arm #3.
Lessggoooo
Cole is indeed young
Congrats Cole Young. Another 2022 1st round draft class. Let’s go!!!
I don’t have time to read through the other comments right now, but Mastrobuoni might be the odd man out. He’s a LHH (like Young), struggled this month, and assuming Young plays regularly or semi-regularly at 2B, they could use Moore in any of the corners.
This would allow them to keep Solano who has been better of late, but let’s see.
Now, about the pitching…
Rivas has options, it will be him. He’s barely playing and has basically only been playing 2B. Mastrobuoni has been playing 3B and OF as well as 2B so gives them the ability to PH for Ben late in games so he stays on team for now.
Yeah, but Rivas can play short, which allows them more flexibility with Moore who also plays the OF and third. Nothing is definitive.
It doesn’t really matter, though. A bench/role player goes away in favor of a player who may be the future at second.
And it is indeed Rivas.Mastrobuoni stays for now,
Hopefully Raley isn’t too far from his return.
He’s struggled his whole career.
Only 21, doubt he’ll excel immediately
But great young talent. This time next yr gonna be full time 2nd b for the m’s
10-15 hrs, 20sb, .290-300 avg
M’s have amazing prospects like
Lazaro , felnin , emerson , juranjelo
Good luck seattle dont f it up
Don’t f it up like Baltimore.
Too much pitching in the majors and the pipeline to end up like that mess.
Him and Cal will be the next Griffey and A-Roid.
Casey Lasagna has been particularly ineffective. How does Solano still have a job?
Mariners have been trying to fix 2B for how many years now? Makes you wonder if the front office is holding everyone in suspense just for 2B. Not sure if Cole Young will be the answer, but it is certainly the new hope being proffered. One good month in AAA Tacoma is worth diddly.
A good step. Still waiting for the M’s to cut bait on the sunk cost of Solano and bring Locklear back. Donnie Barrels is cooked as a hitter and a defensive liability anywhere you put him, which is barely a 1B (regardless of his past).
I don’t follow other team’s prospects much, but as an M’s fan I can say we’ve had more than our share of duds. Let’s hope Young is the real deal. I still get a nervous tick when recalling conversations with my fellow M’s fans….”If Smoak and Ackley can hit and Zunino quits chasing the low and outside pitch for strike three and if Michael Saunders and Nick Franklin are for real and if Paxton, Hultzen, and Walker get here, we might be pretty good! After typing that I need a drink.
Depends what your definition of the ‘real deal’ is but he’s not a high ceiling prospect. His peak is probably a batting line like JP’s this year in the .750 OPS or 120 WRC+ range. Solid everyday regular on a good team if it works. The lack of power is the big limiting factor and he’ll probably hit at the bottom half of the lineup as long as JP is around.
Still, the back of our lineup is terrible so I do think there’s a good chance he improves the team.
You called it. After reading that I need a drink…or 3.
Don’t remind us of Danny Hultzen. Please
Good move. Now cut Garver and call up Ford.