What the M's Surprise Roster Move on Friday Means

On Friday, the Mariners surprisingly sent down offseason acquisition Luis Urias to Triple-A. Here's what the move means, in all its possibilities:

Apr 21, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Jonatan Clase (5) dives for a fly ball in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

On Friday, in advance of the series opener with the Washington Nationals, the Seattle Mariners surprisingly sent down infielder Luis Urias and re-called outfielder Jonatan Clase from Triple-A.

Urias, acquired this offseason in a trade with the Red Sox, was hitting just .152 with three home runs.

The deal was very surprising to many M's fans and social media accounts, and we try to make sense of what this means in all its forms here:

What does this mean for third base?

Urias was brought in to help replace Eugenio Suarez at third base. He had been pairing with Josh Rojas to do that in a platoon role. Without Urias, it's fair to assume that Dylan Moore could form the short side of that platoon.

Moore, a right-handed hitter, has been hot in the early going this season. He's hitting .248 with a .359 on-base percentage. He also has six homers and 19 RBI and this gives manager Scott Servais another avenue to get him in the lineup.

Furthermore, Ty France could be an option to play third base as well. While he has played mostly first base with the M's, he has played 53 games of third base in his career, including six games as recently as 2022. This would require Luke Raley to play first base, something the team has shown a willingness to do.

What does it mean for the outfield?

On the surface, Clase doesn't have a clear path to playing time - at least as a starter, but the M's could elect to get creative in how they do things. Could they start Raley at first base and bench France? Could they start Dom Canzone in the outfield and bench Mitch Haniger against righties? If they do those things, then Clase could start alongside Canzone and Julio Rodriguez.

If they want to bench Canzone and play Haniger against lefties, then Clase could start... He is a switch-hitter.

What does it mean for the DH spot?

It means bad news for Mitch Garver, potentially. With the M's creating more options for platoon advantages, it means that the playing time of France and Haniger is likely to go down in their defensive positions. If Servais wants to put one of them at designated hitter on a particular day, then Garver could be the odd man out too.

The Mariners play the Nationals on Friday at 3:45 p.m. ET.

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