Samad

Taylor

The latest batch of cuts trims Padres camp down to 51 players with just over one week left until Opening Day. Adcock has made 18 relief appearances between the Mets and Mariners since 2023. He’ll open the year back in the minors as organizational depth.

It didn’t take Taylor long to find a new home after being removed from Seattle’s 40-man roster earlier this week. The 27-year-old’s defensive versatility and speed make it easy to envision a super utility bench role with the Padres but he’ll have to beat out in-house alternatives like Mason McCoy and Bryce Johnson in spring training to have any shot at cracking the Opening Day roster.

Taylor was designated for assignment by the Mariners on January 15th and was not claimed on waivers. He has decided to become a free agent rather than stay in the Seattle organization. He has slashed .205/.272/.260 line in 83 plate appearances but has a .281/.373/.432 line with 160 steals in the last four years in the minor leagues.

Taylor loses his spot on Seattle’s 40-man roster after the club acquired reliever Yosver Zulueta from the Reds in a small trade. The 27-year-old offers some defensive versatility, but he hasn’t produced in limited opportunities at the major-league level over the past three seasons. He’s gotten into 38 games between the Royals and Mariners during that span, batting .205 (15-for-73) with zero homers and eight steals. He should attract some interest on waivers as a jack-of-all-trades utility specialist.

Taylor is now hitting .333 with 10 home runs, 11 steals, 32 RBI and a .968 OPS at Triple-A while playing second base, third base, left field and center field. Meanwhile, the Mariners seem content to continue using Leody Taveras and Dylan Moore in the starting lineup. It might be time for Taylor to at least get a shot at a utility spot on the bench.

Taylor is having a great season in the minors, hitting .319 with eight home runs and eight steals in 36 games for Triple-A Tacoma. The Mariners have been running out Miles Mastrobuoni and his .205/.272/.241 slash line in the minors, so they could opt to make a move soon.

Taylor went 1-for-8 in his week with the Mariners. At least he’s back on the 40-man roster now after being DFA’d and clearing waivers in January. If he gets DFA’d again at some point, he’ll be able to choose free agency if he wants.

Raley was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup after tweaking his back during batting practice, and he’ll miss at least one more game with the issue. Samad Taylor will start in Raley’s place and hit ninth while handling right field.

Taylor returns to the big leagues to provide Seattle with some extra versatility off the bench while Dylan Moore is out with a shoulder injury. The 26-year-old has gotten into 34 games over the last three seasons at the highest level. He’s an interesting role player, but can be safely ignored for fantasy purposes.

Klein was acquired from the Athletics in January, but the 25-year-old will begin his 2025 campaign in Tacoma with the Rainiers. He could be one of the first arms up if/when Seattle needs reinforcements.