Here's What Jerry Dipoto Had to Say About Seattle Mariners' New Roster Addition
In this story:
The Seattle Mariners successfully claimed outfielder Leody Taveras off waivers from the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. They'll pay Taveras $3.5 million in salary for the rest of the year.
The 26-year-old is a six-year veteran of the Rangers, helping them win the World Series in 2023. Known as a solid defender and a good runner, Taveras is a lifetime .240 hitter, though he hit .266 with 14 homers and 67 RBI in that 2023 season. He was off to a slow start with Texas this year, hitting just .241 with one homer and eight RBIs.
The Mariners picked him up to help address roster depth issues that have been caused by injuries to Luke Raley and Victor Robles, who are both out until around the All-Star break. The Mariners did something similar with Robles last season, who became a huge part of the team's roster over the second half of the season.
Speaking on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast, here's what Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations, had to say about the move:
We committed pretty early internally like 'we're going to put in a claim and I hope he gets to us,' and we were kind of surprised that he did. And he's 26 years old. He's a year and a month removed from a 2.5 win season playing centerfield every day for the world champs and he's a 65/70 runner. He's got a 65/70 hose. He has stolen 20 plus bags in a season he'll give you 12, 15 homers, and that's not considering the athleticism and the upside that he still brings to the dance at 26
And he's making a little bit of money this year but he's under club control for the next two years which makes it even more appealing to us. And right now, with so many players banged up and injured, we had real opportunity and we thought this is an opportunity to try to cash in on a young guy and not too dissimilar a way to what we did last year with Victor Robles.
The Mariners are back in action on Wednesday afternoon against the Athletics in West Sacramento. First pitch is set for 12:35 p.m. PT. Taveras is expected to join the team, but it's unknown if he'll be ready to play on Wednesday.
The Mariners are off on Thursday before opening a new series on Friday night with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
NEW PODCAST IS OUT! Brady is back for another episode of "Refuse to Lose," talking about the series win over the Texas Rangers and the return of Matt Brash to the bullpen. Furthermore, Brady explains why Saturday's game featured his possible favorite inning of the season. Also, what's next for George Kirby now that he's made a rehab start? And former M's pitcher Paul Abbott stops by the show, as he now serves as the pitching coach for the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics). CLICK HERE:
MUNOZ THE MAN: Andres Munoz walked a tightrope on Monday night, doing something only done once before in team history. CLICK HERE:
WHAT"s UP WITH BRYCE? Bryce Miller has struggled so far this season, and we think we've found a mechanical flaw. What's our thought? CLICK HERE:
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @RefuseToLosePod. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
