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Mariners Underdog Leaves Team with Tough Decision

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Rowdy Tellez's strong spring for the Mariners raises questions about Mitch Haniger's future in Seattle.

As the 2025 season draws closer and closer with each passing day, teams have to make their final Opening Day cuts. With few notable moves this offseason, the Seattle Mariners starting lineup has mainly chosen itself. However, despite their lack of financial resources, one of their stopgaps has left them with a difficult choice to make.

When it was announced that Rowdy Tellez had signed a minor-league deal with the Mariners, there wasn’t much excitement in the air among fans. Tellez, 30, hasn’t exactly torched the league in almost 700 games across seven seasons. However, a deep dive into his stats would tell you that he’s a more exciting player than you might think.

Rowdy Tellez Leaving Mariners with Tough Decision

Valuable Production Still on the Horizon

In the last four seasons, Tellez really came into his own. He split time between the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. During that period, he played 495 games, hitting .229 with 72 home runs and 228 RBI. Tellez found himself being a very useful player for the Pirates in 2024. His OPS was only .691, but he did hit 13 home runs with 56 RBI while hitting .243. He played the second-most games of his career (131) and only struck out 89 times. That puts him at a below-average 22%, with 2024’s average being 24%. His Baseball Savant page also has him at an above-average Whiff rate of 21.9%. That sort of patience at the plate is exactly what Seattle needs.

Since 2021, the Mariners have crafted an offense that heavily relies on walking and hitting home runs. In 2023, we saw this ideology start to slip away, and in 2024, they were almost unrecognizable. After playing the majority of a mediocre season, the Mariners opted for a change in management. Longtime manager Scott Servais was relieved of his duties for Mariners legend and budding manager, Dan Wilson. “Old Reliable” Edgar Martinez was also brought back in to once again assume hitting coach duties. A Hall of Famer as your hitting coach isn’t too bad, right?

When Wilson and Co. took over on August 23rd, the rest of the season saw a noticeable offensive uptick. This wasn’t just the team getting hot, either. From August 1st to August 22nd, the Mariners as a team slashed .200/.300/.344, with a 90 wRC+. From August 23rd onward, the team slashed .244/.347/.398 with a 121 wRC+.

Where Does Tellez Fit In?

After Wilson took over, the Mariners struck out at a not-good but not-awful 24.6%, which saw them jump from rock bottom to 22nd in MLB. Tellez would contribute to working the count and getting on base, helping the Mariners get back to their old ethos.

Tellez has been red-hot this spring. In 13 games, he’s hit .297 with three home runs, which is tied for the team lead. It certainly seems like his would-be roster spot has come down to a battle between him and Mitch Haniger, who has had a cold spring thus far, batting a frigid .167 in seven games.

Tellez definitely gives the team more unique profile than Haniger. By going with Mitch, you get a fan favorite, but your options are much more limited. He’s seen a steady decline in production, but Haniger can play the outfield, just not as well as he used to. However, he still has a cannon of an arm. He can also eat up DH days. With Tellez, Seattle can play him at first base, and use Raley in the outfield to get more rest days for Rodriguez, Arozarena, and Victor Robles. They could also use him at DH cover.

Since Eugenio Suárez left, Seattle hasn’t had someone with the raw power of Tellez, either. Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh are both 25+ home run guys, and they also have Randy Arozarena and Luke Raley who are good for at least 20, but Tellez has 30+ or higher upside.

How Will His Production Translate?

In his career year of 2022, Tellez hit 35 home runs with 89 RBI. It wasn’t like he was playing in a hitter-friendly park, either. American Family Field ranked 19th in park factor, with a 98 in 2022, according to Baseball Savant. PNC Park in Pittsburgh does rank inside the top 10, with a park factor of 101 in 2024, but he actually found himself hitting at a higher average away from home.

The worst part of all of that, though, is T-Mobile Park in Seattle has ranked last in park factor every year since 2021. In 2024, their park factor was 92, the biggest differential in baseball. Parks haven’t seen to have given Tellez too much trouble throughout the years.

Rowdy Tellez has an opt-out in his deal with the Mariners, which he’ll surely exercise if sent down. Could it be time to part ways with an aging Mitch Haniger?

 

Photo Credit: © Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The post Mariners Underdog Leaves Team with Tough Decision appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.