Mariners former draft pick Levi Stoudt returns to Seattle

Levi Stoudt was traded to Cincinnati as part of the deal which brought in Luis Castillo, but now the Mariners have claimed him off waivers.

Spring training is underway, after pitchers and catchers reported to Peoria on Thursday. However, it doesn’t mean the Seattle Mariners have stopped making moves in their attempts to improve the roster.

As confirmed by Executive Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations Justin Hollander on Saturday, they have claimed Levi Stoudt off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. To make room on the 40-man roster, they designated Canaan Smith-Njigba for assignment.

If Stoudt sounds familiar, it’s because he was part of the trade package sent to Cincinnati in July 2022, in exchange for three-time All-Star Luis Castillo. He was originally selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 2019 MLB draft.

Stoudt has had an eventful time ever since being drafted by the Mariners. He had to undergo Tommy John surgery shortly after being selected and did not make his professional debut until the 2021 season.

Promising first season

The righty was decent enough during that first season, as he pitched at High-A and Double-A in the minors for the Mariners. In 15 combined starts at the two levels, he produced a 3.31 ERA and 1.200 WHIP in 81.2 innings.

However, Stoudt would not get much more time to continue his development with the Mariners organization. It speaks volumes about his potential, that the Reds wanted him included in the deal for Castillo.

The 26-year-old made his Major League debut last season, but the reality is he did not do particularly well in four appearances for the Reds, which included two starts. He ended up recording a 9.58 ERA and poor 2.323 WHIP in 10.1 combined innings.

In fact last season was a tough one for Stoudt in general, as he also struggled in Triple-A. He produced a 6.23 ERA and 1.664 WHIP in 25 appearances which included 19 starts, over a combined 82.1 innings.

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Mariners still see an upside

Regardless, the Mariners still clearly believe there is some potential to be unlocked, hence why they claimed the Lehigh University alumni off waivers. At one point prior to his trade, he was rated as the Mariners’ number seven prospect in their farm system.

In terms of Stoudt’s offensive arsenal, his main weapon is a fastball which averages between 91-95 mph. However he’s still working on utilizing it better, as evidenced by a declining strikeout productivity during his professional career to date.

Brought in to provide some starter depth, the Pottstown, Pennsylvania native will likely see more playing time in the minors. For what it’s worth though, FanGraphs have him projected to make 14 appearances — including two starts — for the Mariners in 2024, in the process producing a 4.92 ERA, 5.20 FIP and 1.42 WHIP.

As for Smith-Njigba, he was only claimed off waivers by the Mariners on Feb. 7, from the Pittsburgh Pirates. There’s every chance he could be claimed off waivers once again and make his stay in Seattle a short one.

What’s your take on Stoudt? What are you expecting from him during spring training for the Seattle Mariners? Let us know in the comments section below.