Seattle Mariners Prospect Jason Ruffcorn Named Intriguing Rule 5 Draft Candidate
The Seattle Mariners are likely to be one of the first teams at the negotation table during MLB Winter Meetings on Dec. 9-12 in Dallas.
The Mariners are still looking for a starting second and third baseman along with a player to pair with Luke Raley at first.
Recent reports have indicated that Seattle is kicking the tires on deals for infielders like the Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner, the Philadelphia Phillies' Alec Bohm or free agent Christian Walker. Even Korean Baseball Organization middle infielder Hye-Seong Kim, who was posted on Wednesday.
There's a lot of avenues for the Mariners to explore while trying to put together their major league Opening Day roster for 2025.
While the team is trying to do that, they also have to be aware of some changes that could take place in their farm system.
The Rule 5 Draft on the second-to-last day of Winter Meetings, Dec. 11, at 11 a.m. PT.
The Rule 5 Draft is meant to be a competitive balance in which major league clubs can select a player with a certain amount of years played in the minor leagues without being called up and add them to their organization. The caveat is that teams must place the selected player on the 40-man roster.
Seattle has several players that will be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft. And one pitcher was named an "intriguing candidate" in a story on MLB.com.
Writers Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra laid out each team's most interesting potential draftee and Jason Ruffcorn was named as the Mariners'.
Ruffcorn was drafted in the eighth round of the 2021 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies out of Oklahoma. He was traded to Seattle for cash on March 20. He played in High-A, Double-A and Triple-A for the Mariners in 2024.
Ruffcorn posted a total ERA of 3.42 in 42 appearances with 55 strikeouts in 49.2 innings pitched. He closed out the year making three appearances with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers and had a 0.00 ERA while striking out three batters in 4.2 innings pitched.
Ruffcorn also participated with the Arizona Fall League with the Peoria Javelinas.
Glasses, mask...and Nothing but Smoke. 🌬️🌬️
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 17, 2021
Jason Ruffcorn is a badass. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/YBedRITbiY
The story had the following assessment on Ruffcorn:
The Phillies drafted Ruffcorn, the son of former big leaguer Scott Ruffcorn, in the eighth round in 2021, then sent him to the Mariners in March. Now 26, the reliever spent most of the year with High-A Everett but did touch both Double-A and Triple-A, striking out 10.0 per nine innings in 2024. He got hit in the Fall League but used a four-seamer, cutter and sweeper to whiff 13.8 per nine over 13 2/3 frames.
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