The Seattle Mariners continue to tinker with their roster by agreeing minor league contracts with Trevor Kelley and Brian Anderson.
There are still plenty of people dealing with the disappointment of the Seattle Mariners just missing out on the postseason last year. However, thoughts will turn to the future on Saturday, as they play their first Cactus League spring training game of 2024, versus the Chicago White Sox.
Even now the Mariners continue to tinker with the roster, looking for ways to improve their team and put themselves in position to return to the postseason after last year’s heartbreak. Along these lines another couple of players have now been signed to minor league deals, complete with invitations to spring training.
The Seattle Mariners have yet to officially confirm the moves themselves at the time of posting, but the two players in question are Trevor Kelley and Brian Anderson. The signings were first reported by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times.
Disappointing but with upside
Kelley was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 2015 draft and is considered to have upside and solid stuff. At the same time though, he has underwhelmed thus far when given his chances in the Majors.
The 31-year-old has pitched 50.2 combined innings over four seasons at the Major League level. This includes last year, when he made 10 appearances and produced a 5.87 ERA, 6.78 FIP and 1.435 WHIP in 15.1 innings for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Upside or not, Kelley is getting close to the point where he could be considered another example of a player who wasted their ability. If nothing else, it helps that he will now get an opportunity in Seattle, with the Mariners renowned for helping pitchers fulfil their talent out of the bullpen. (Paul Sewald, Penn Murfee, and Justin Topa all come to mind.)
The Mariners have a strong bullpen, which is coming off a season where they ranked second in the AL in team ERA (3.48), as well as fifth in batting average (.232) and tied-fifth in WHIP (1.26). It will now be up to Kelley to prove himself worthy of becoming part of the equation.
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Already shown glimpses
As for Anderson, he is a player who has previously shown something at the Major League level with his bat, including a couple of OPS above .800. For the period of 2018-2020 specifically he had a .266/.350/.436 slash line, which alludes to what he’s capable of.
However, the 30-year-old has since endured an unproductive time, unable to capitalize and what he previously achieved. In fairness several injury issues haven’t helped, but similar to Kelley, he now finds himself in the position of having to prove himself.
Defensively speaking Anderson should offer excellent depth, with his combination of athleticism and a strong arm. He also possesses that valuable asset of versatility, which general manager Jerry Dipoto loves so much; during his seven seasons in the Majors he has played at every infield position, as well as the outfield corners.
If Anderson is able to make the team he will receive a salary of $2 million, as per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. No such information is available at the time of posting, in respect of Kelley’s contract.
What’s your vibe like for the Seattle Mariners ahead of Cactus League play? Are you optimistic, concerned, or taking a wait-and-see approach? Let us know in the comments section below.
