The Seattle Mariners are heading into a busy stretch with the trade deadline two weeks away and a handful of players working their way back from injury. At 50-50, they’re right in the thick of the American League West race, sitting just 0.5 games behind the Texas Rangers and one game behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League wild card chase.
That mix of deadline pressure, rehab assignments, and prospect movement means the next two weeks could bring a few roster shakeups.
Brendan Donovan looks like the first piece to fall into place. He’s been sidelined since mid-May after dealing with complications from a sports hernia surgery he had last season, but he has already played three rehab games and is expected back by the time Seattle faces the Los Angeles Dodgers next week. When he returns, the Mariners appear set to use him in a utility role with regular at-bats, and Buddy Kennedy looks like the most likely player to lose his spot.
Rob Refsnyder is another name in the mix. His first season in Seattle has been rough, and he’s also been on the comeback trail after injury, logging two games for Triple-A Tacoma. His roster spot is not locked down, but if he does return, Weston Wilson would seem to be the player on the way out.
That would leave the Mariners’ primary lineup looking like this: Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, Cole Young, Colt Emerson, JP Crawford, Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez, Donovan and Dominic Canzone. The bench would feature Mitch Garver, Victor Robles, Refsnyder and Luke Raley.
But the list of questions doesn’t stop there.
The Mariners also have to decide whether Refsnyder is truly part of their plans or whether they should pivot to another right-handed bat. Brennen Davis is also coming back from injury, but he put together a strong spring and then had an excellent first two months with the Rainiers. Michael Arroyo has gone 8-for-10 against left-handed pitching since getting to Triple-A Tacoma, and Ryan Bliss has been scorching over the last two weeks.
Then there’s Colt Emerson. He’s hitting .195 with just one home run since June 15, and that raises a real question about whether he’s locked into staying in Seattle.
The alternative would be moving JP Crawford back to shortstop and Donovan to third base again. The bigger issue is figuring out when Emerson’s struggles stop helping and start getting in the way of his development.
Victor Robles is another player whose future is worth watching. He’s in the final year of his contract and hitting .210 with a 45 OPS+, and Seattle is expected to look for a right-handed bat at the deadline. That kind of addition could push Robles out of the picture.
Luke Raley is in the conversation too, even after hitting the game-winning home run on Sunday. If Canzone and Donovan can already handle the outfield, the Mariners may decide they have too much overlap and use Raley as the piece that creates room elsewhere.
Those are the kinds of decisions Seattle has to sort through as it pushes through the rest of the regular season.
The Mariners open a new series against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night at 6:40 p.m. PT.
In Other News...
Former Mariners Outfielder Finally Reached A Breaking Point In Oakland
Cade Marlowes path through pro ball has already taken him from Seattle to a second organization, and now the former Mariners outfielder is back on the market after using an opt-out in his minor league deal with Oakland. It comes after a productive stretch at Triple-A, the kind of run that usually keeps a player in the conversation for a call-up and gives a club a reason to keep him close.
For Seattle fans, Marlowe is still easy to remember from his 42 big league games over two seasons, a brief stint that included a memorable ninth-inning grand slam against the Angels before he was designated for assignment and later chose free agency. Oaklands decision not to bring him up leaves his next step unsettled, but it also puts a familiar name back into the kind of limbo that often defines the fringe of a major league roster. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Prospect Felnin Celesten Is Forcing His Way Back Into Focus
Felnin Celestens season has gone from promising to impossible to ignore, and now the Mariners are rewarding it with another jump. The 19-year-old shortstop has moved up from High-A Everett after putting together the best offensive stretch of his pro career, the kind of performance that has pushed him back onto major prospect lists and put his name squarely back in the organizations long-range conversation.
Celesten is expected to make his Double-A debut soon after the teams day off, which will be the next real test of how much of that production carries with him. For Seattle, the appeal is obvious: a young middle infielder who is trending the right way again and forcing evaluators to take a fresh look at him, even as the tougher competition in Arkansas will tell the next part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Just Sent Another Top Prospect Up With Celesten
The Mariners kept the prospect pipeline moving this week by adding another pair of names to the next stop on the developmental ladder. Outfielder Jonny Farmelo and right-hander Lucas Kelly are headed to Double-A Arkansas, joining Felnin Celesten after both spent time turning heads at High-A Everett.
For Seattle, the timing matters as much as the move itself. Farmelo has been one of the organizations more closely watched young hitters, while Kelly has given the AquaSox useful innings in relief, and now both get a tougher test in Little Rock. It is another sign that the Mariners are willing to keep pushing their better minor league talent together, even if the next level is where the real evaluation begins. [Read more 🡒]