Rowdy in the Pacific Northwest! Mariners Roll the Dice on Tellez
A day before the Seattle Mariners kicked off spring training with their first game of 2025 against the San Diego Padres, the team added some power to their infield.
Per a tweet from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Mariners signed first baseman Rowdy Tellez to a minor league contract with a spring training invite.
Signing Tellez is an interesting move for Seattle. It could either be a deal made for depth at Triple-A, or to add some power to the lineup.
The Mariners entered the offseason looking for a first baseman to platoon with Luke Raley, among other things. They found that in veteran Donovan Solano. But, per a report from Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Solano won’t be at big league camp until at least Feb. 21 due to Visa issues.
Tellez could simply be a fill-in until Solano arrives to Peoria, Ariz. But there’s a chance he could also be trotted out as designated hitter.
Tellez’s calling card is his power. He hit .243 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs in 132 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024. He’s hit 61 total homers the last three season. That number is somewhat inflated due to his 35-home run season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022.
Tellez doesn’t have the positional versatility of Solano. The latter has played all over the infield in his 12-year career. Tellez has only played first base or designated hitter in seven major league seasons. It’s hard to imagine the slugging potential wasn’t responsible for Seattle’s interest in Tellez.
Regardless of the reason, the Mariners will have one more big bat at the Peoria Sports Complex.
