The Seattle Mariners have been one of the more fascinating teams to track this offseason.
They’ve pulled off some significant moves, including bringing back Josh Naylor on a massive contract, but they’ve also come up short in key areas. Seattle already saw Jorge Polanco depart for the New York Mets in free agency earlier this winter, and they could be in danger of losing slugger Eugenio Suárez as well, who remained available as of Friday.
Adding to the turnover, the Mariners lost veteran utility player Samad Taylor on Friday after he opted for free agency, the team announced.
Taylor, 27, has the ability to play multiple positions on defense, which drives up his value, but his lack of offense made him a candidate to be designated for assignment.
He’s only played 38 big league games, but it’s hard to be excited about his profile as a hitter.
Still, he should find a job on a minor league deal in the coming weeks. There’s bound to be a team willing to take a risk on him because of his defensive versatility. He could work his way back to the big leagues if he can have a solid first half in the minor leagues, but it’s hard to imagine Taylor landing a job on a big league roster.
