Seattle Mariners Opt Not to Select Player in Major League Portion of Rule 5 Draft
The Seattle Mariners entered Day 3 of the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas without having made a move that would have added to their major league roster.
The Mariners have been relatively quiet in the offseason. The only trade they've made with major league implications was acquiring infielder Austin Shenton from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations.
At the end of the Nov. 22 non-tender deadline, Seattle's major league roster stood at 37 players. Just enough spots open for the team to find the first, second and third baseman they've been needing.
If the Mariners do find the starting infielders they've been clamoring for, it won't be via the Rule 5 draft.
Seattle opted to pass on a selection in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft, meaning they didn't pick for the entire process. It's the second year in a row the Mariners haven't taken a major league player in the Rule 5 draft.
The last Rule 5 selection made by Seattle was for right-handed pitcher Chris Clarke, who was returned to the Chicago Cubs on March 26 after not meeting the criteria for a Rule 5 draftee.
Players selected during the major league phase of the draft have to be placed on the 40-man roster and be on the 26-man roster for most of the season or be promptly returned to the team they were selected from.
In the minor league phase, Seattle selected outfielder Cesar Quintas from the San Francisco Giant's Double-A roster
Quintas ended 2024 having played 101 games with the Giants' High-A affiliate, the San Jose Giants. He hit .228 with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs. He was signed out of Venezuela by San Francisco on July 2, 2019.
Bryce Eldridge and Cesar Quintas each homered in their game vs the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/c2tMwiG6Fs
— SFGProspects (@SFGProspects) March 28, 2024
The Mariners also drafted Taylor Floyd, a right-handed pitcher, from the Minnesota Twins' Double-A club, the Wichita Wind Surge. They also selected Adam Leverett from the Tampa Bay Rays Double-A affiliate, the Montgomery Biscuits.
Floyd made 44 appearances (one start) with the Wind Surge in 2024. He posted a 4.04 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 64.2 innings pitched. Floyd was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 10th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech.
Leverett spent time in 2024 with Montgomery and the Rays' Triple-A club, the Durham Bulls. He had a total ERA of 4.07 in 23 appearances (20 starts) and struck out 63 batters in 101.2 innings pitched. He was drafted in the 15th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies out of Gordon State Junior College.
Quintas, Floyd, Leverett and other players selected during the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft aren't subject to the same roster restrictions as players selected during the major league phase.
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