Just over five weeks into spring training in Arizona, the Mariners roster gained a little more clarity over the weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, A.J sailors Trading in the right hand for the Brewers Justin Tuba To give them another big arm of the bulls. Hours later, A.J Report It appeared that the team had agreed to a one-year free agent deal AJ Pollock.
The deal, valued at $7 million, is pending. Bullock turned down his $13 million option for 2023 and took out $5 million white stockings in October, thus becoming a free agent.
Pollock fills a specific need the team has been targeting—a right-handed outfielder who is successful at hitting left-handed throwing. Pollock, who turned 35 last month, is his career-high . 285 batter against the Southpaws.
Last season, he had a 0.935 OPS and 161 WRC+ in 133 games against the left-handed pitcher.
This should give the Mariners another option to help out against left-handed shooters in the American League West, like the Astros’ Framber Valdez, The Angels’ team. Tyler AndersonAnd Patrick SandovalAnd Jose Suarez And Reed Detmers And the Rangers Andrew Heaney And Martin Perez.
In 2022 with the White Sox, Pollock hit 14 homers and had 92 wRC+. Steamer’s forecast for 2023 is more favorable, showing it at 106 wRC+. He would, at the very least, be a platoon partner in left field with a left hitter Jared Kilinick.
Pollock is also stepping into the role of the team’s designated hitter, as the Mariners plan to rotate players through that spot to give them a day off their feet defensively and also to improve lineup composition based on who is batting for the opposition in that game.
Pollock is 2 seasons removed from fwar 3.1 season with Dodgers, when he hit 21 home runs and had a 137 wRC+. Mariners who added an outfielder Teuscar Hernandez And the second rule Colton Wong This off-season, hopefully these three players can help an offense that’s been stopped 12 times and ranks 28th in baseball in batting average (. 230).
Tuba, a 31-year-old right-handed man, was taken from righteousness For minor league pitcher Joseph Hernandez. Topa has pitched parts of the past three seasons with the Brewers, compiling an 8.35 ERA in 17 games. He has a career 4.64 ERA in 131 minor league games.
Topa started last season on the right forearm strain list and didn’t appear in a game until August 12 with Triple-A Nashville. He joined the Brewers on September 9. According to FanGraphs, Tuba was sitting 94-97 mph when he came back from the injured list.
Trying to win one of eight Mariners jobs is going to be tough this spring. It is clearly the team’s deepest position with only a handful of openings. Even after trading Eric Swanson to me blue jays To get Hernandez, the Mariners still have it Brennan BernardinoAnd Matt BrushAnd Diego CastilloAnd Vista diedAnd Trevor GottRule 5 pickup Chris ClarkAnd Easton McGeeAnd Andres MuñozAnd Ben MurphyAnd Paul Sowald And Gabe Speer On the list of 40 men.
And that list doesn’t include Casey Sadler, who will be in camp on a minor league deal after missing all of 2022 following shoulder surgery.
The Sailors may be over fixing the list, though they’d still like to find someone who can spell. Ty France At first base. It may or may not be possible at this stage without running into an existing crisis.
Pitchers and catchers who plan to play in the World Baseball Classic will report to Peoria to start spring training on February 13. Patrolmen and hunters will be at camp on February 15th. WBC position players report on February 16th and rest of the players in position report on February 20th.
(Photo by Pollock: Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)