Jacob

Hannemann

Hannemann was batting .248/.333/.453 with five home runs and eight stolen bases through 44 games this season at Triple-A Iowa. The 28-year-old outfielder should be able to latch on with a new organization.

The Cubs’ third round selection from the 2013 draft is now protected from the Rule 5 draft. The 25-year-old outfielder appeared in just 74 games at Double-A in 2016, hitting .247/.326/.426 with 10 homers, 30 RBI and 26 stolen bases.

The three hits are certainly nice, but the three stolen bases he picked up are the highlight of the evening. Hanneman has easy plus-plus speed, and he can get it with the best of them in the outfield. Unfortunately, the hit tool hasn’t come around enough to put that speed to use just yet. That being said, the Cubs really like his talent, and we could be looking at a late bloomer.

Hannemann was exposed to waivers with catcher Taylor Davis being added to the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old Hannemann hit .240/.312/.372 over 113 games this season between Double- and Triple-A. He has good speed and extensive experience in center field, so he’s useful outfield depth for Seattle.

It was the second four-hit game of his career with his first coming on June 14, 2014. All four of Hannemann’s hits went for extra bases and he plated a career-high six runs. Even after Sunday’s explosion, the 24-year-old is still hitting just .207 in 140 at-bats since joining the Smokies in late April.

Hannemann, who turns 24 on Tuesday, was a surprise third-round pick of the Cubs in 2013 out of Brigham Young, as he’d spent the previous two years on a Mormon mission. He made his professional debut last summer, albeit a brief one, and batted .268/.288/.437 in 17 games between a pair of Rookie levels. Making his full-season debut this year at Kane County, Hannemann is batting .253/.322/.329 with three extra-base hits, eight stolen bases and a 23/6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 19 games.

The 24-year-old kept it going with two more hits, finishing the night 3-for-4 with a stolen base. Hannemann earned his promotion by hitting .328 with seven steals in 16 contests for High-A Myrtle Beach. Despite his recent success, Chicago’s No. 21 prospect will have to cut down on his strikeouts before he gets called up to the major leagues (16 Ks in 65 at-bats).

Hannemann also walked and scored three times in the ballgame. His solo shot came off of Richard Lovelady in the sixth inning. Even with this strong showing, he’s still hitting just .148 during Cactus League play.

Hannemann was a third-round pick of the Cubs in 2013 and spent nearly four years in the organization before getting claimed by Seattle this past September. The 26-year-old outfielder now returns to his first organization, where he’ll again be buried on the depth chart. Hannemann slugged his first major league home run on September 30, in a Mariners uniform.

Segura is dealing with a sprained finger and hasn’t started the last two games. He’s considered day-to-day. Taylor Motter will handle shortstop again. The M’s also have Jacob Hannemann in center field over Guillermo Heredia.