The Mariners introduced that they’ve recalled outfielder Dominic Canzone from Triple-A Tacoma. In a corresponding transfer, fellow outfielder Leody Taveras has been designated for task. The M’s additionally introduced that right-hander Casey Lawrence, who was designated for task a few days in the past, has cleared waivers and been despatched outright to Triple-A.
Seattle considerably surprisingly claimed Taveras off waivers earlier this 12 months, regardless of him being owed about $3.73MM on the time of that transfer. Seattle had been hamstrung financially all through the offseason, with possession offering the entrance workplace a reported $15-16MM to attempt to add as many as three bats to the lineup. Presumably, possession was emboldened by a sizzling begin to the season and gave the inexperienced gentle to a buy-low alternative on Taveras whereas each Victor Robles and Luke Raley had been on the injured checklist.
Merely put, it hasn’t labored. On the time of his DFA in Texas, Taveras was hitting simply .241/.259/.342 with a career-worst 28% strikeout price and exit velocity and hard-hit numbers. The switch-hitter’s batted-ball metrics have improved, however the bottom-line outcomes have solely gotten worse.
In 98 plate appearances with the M’s, Taveras has posted an anemic .174/.198/.272 batting line with a 27.6% strikeout price. He’s minimize down on his chase price and been extra aggressive throughout the strike zone, however the Mariners, who’ve dropped 10 of their previous 14 video games and fallen 2.5 video games again of the Astros within the AL West, apparently don’t really feel they’ve the posh of ready to see if the improved strategy and stronger contact finally manifest in higher manufacturing.
Taveras will probably be positioned on waivers or traded throughout the subsequent 5 days. If he clears waivers, he’ll certainly settle for an outright task to Tacoma, as he doesn’t have sufficient service time to reject an outright and retain the rest of his wage. As of this writing, he’s nonetheless owed about $2.86MM of this 12 months’s $4.75MM wage. Any staff that claims Taveras could be liable for that sum, however they’d additionally achieve management over the switch-hitting speedster by way of the 2027 season.
Taveras gave the Rangers two strong years from 2022-23, slashing a mixed .264/.311/.400 with plus protection and the pliability to play any of the three outfield positions. Even in a down 12 months in 2024, when he batted .229/.289/.352, he offered worth on the basepaths and with the glove. Maybe that monitor file, plus the encouraging traits in his plate self-discipline and batted-ball high quality, could be sufficient to get him a glance elsewhere. The Royals reportedly had interest in claiming Taveras final time he was on waivers however balked on the $3.73MM he had left to be paid out. By the point he hits waivers, the remaining dedication to him will probably be practically $1MM lower than the primary time he was on waivers.
Instead of Taveras, Canzone will get one other alternative to show he is usually a piece of the puzzle at T-Cellular Park. He hit simply .196/.271/.381 in 188 plate appearances with the Mariners final 12 months and went hitless in three plate appearances earlier this season. The 27-year-old is having a giant 12 months in Triple-A, nonetheless, mashing at a .296/.360/.564 clip with 13 house runs, a 9.1% stroll price and a 21.3% strikeout price. He’s batting .382/.488/.529 with as many walks as strikeouts throughout his previous 9 video games.
As for Lawrence, that is simply the most recent journey across the Seattle-Tacoma DFA carousel for the journeyman right-hander. He’s now had 5 totally different stints with the Mariners in 2025 alone. The soft-tossing 37-year-old has pitched 15 innings with a flat 3.00 ERA for the Mariners this 12 months, plus one lone 2 2/3-inning look for the Blue Jays, whereby he allowed three runs. General, Lawrence has 17 2/3 MLB frames with a 4.08 earned run common on the season. His 8.8% strikeout price is as little as you’ll discover, however he’s walked only one.3% of opponents. The Mariners are successfully using Lawrence and fellow journeyman Jesse Hahn as forty first and forty second members of their 40-man roster, choosing them to the majors once they want an additional arm for some size after which designating them for task and passing them by way of waivers to deliver again an optionable arm as wanted.
It’s a tumultuous strategy to earn a dwelling in some respects, however the staff has been upfront with the righty about his function and Lawrence is clearly amenable to the setup. He’s picked up 34 days of main league service time this 12 months — gamers accrue MLB pay and repair whereas in DFA limbo and/or on outright waivers — and thus banked not less than $142K in main league wage alone (which doesn’t even embody his minor league pay).
