Analysis: 2 Recently DFA'd Players Who May Intrigue Mariners
The Mariners are known for making trades. More specifically, general manager Jerry Dipoto is known for making trades.
Dipoto will undoubtedly get his fill over the next seven weeks, but there are two intriguing bats who recently hit the waiver wire that could provide some useful depth moving forward: outfielder Clint Frazier and designated hitter/catcher Yermín Mercedes.
Let's start with Mercedes, who was designated for assignment on Sunday morning. The longtime minor leaguer saw incredible early success as a 28-year old rookie for the White Sox in 2021, only to fade quickly down the stretch. He even contemplated retiring from baseball after he was demoted back to Triple-A, shortly after he was chewed out by his manager Tony La Russa for—get this—hitting a home run.
Mercedes hasn't returned to the big leagues since, but his rookie year did produce a .271/.328/.401 slash line, which is good for a 120 wRC+. Prior to the incident involving La Russa, Mercedes was slashing .368/.417/.571 in 144 plate appearances. But after he was dressed down publicly to the media, he went on to hit .150/.220/.196 in 118 plate appearances before being banished to the minor leagues.
Mercedes is a difficult fit on any roster. He doesn't really have a position. He's well below-average behind the plate and is mediocre at best at first base. He's best suited to DH, but we know the Mariners don't like employing a full-time DH.
However, the team already has several roster spots that are largely going unused and we have no idea when Kyle Lewis or Justin Upton may be activated. Mercedes can provide value as a DH, particularly against left-handed pitching, which he possesses a career .339/.386/.523 slash line.
Frazier, meanwhile, is a former highly-touted prospect with incredible pedigree and a sizeable amount of success at both the high minors and MLB level. He's a good athlete. He won't turn 28 years old until September. Traditionally, this is the type of profile that Dipoto has gone after, but when Frazier was available this winter, Dipoto didn't seem all that interested.
A career .238/.328/.427 hitter, Frazier was actually incredibly impactful at the plate in 2019 and 2020. In 108 games between the two seasons, he slashed .267/.347/.497 with 20 home runs.
Frazier has suffered from some injuries and a Yankees organization that never gave him the run he earned in favor of playing guys like Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner instead. But he's still a good athlete with plus power and is, at worst, an average big league bat.
Frazier will strike out plenty, but he'll also draw walks. In his last semi-full season in 2020, he ranked in the 100th percentile in chase rate and 93rd percentile in walk rate while simultaneously ranking in the 82nd percentile in barrel rate, 79th in xwOBA and 79th in outs above average.
Both of these players could help the Mariners and Frazier especially has a chance to be more than a useful bench piece. He could be the next Mitch Haniger.
These are the shots the Mariners need to make if they can. And with 26-man roster spots currently being used on Sam Haggerty, Roenis Elías, and Ryan Borucki, they don't have a roster crunch issue anywhere on the horizon.
