Mariners add prospects Trammell, Delaplane, Mills and Then to 40-man roster
Ahead of Friday’s deadline to finalize rosters for the offseason, the Mariners added four prospects to the 40-man to protect them from next month’s Rule 5 Draft.
The four players added — outfielder Taylor Trammell and right-handed pitchers Sam Delaplane, Wyatt Mills and Juan Then — are all considered among the top 30 prospects in Seattle’s system by MLB Pipeline.
Trammell is also one of six Mariners prospects listed in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects in baseball at No. 51.
“Generally we thought all four were were mostly no-brainers, based on either their performance or their prospect standing throughout the course of their careers to date,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said on a video call Friday.
Trammell, the club’s No. 5 prospect, was a centerpiece in the seven-player trade the Mariners made with the Padres at the deadline in August, and spent the rest of his summer at the club’s alternate site in Tacoma, working with other top outfield prospects Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez.
He also participated in the club’s instructional league in Peoria this fall, and Dipoto said the Mariners were encouraged with the step forward Trammell took in building his arm strength in the outfield.
“He went down to both Tacoma and the fall instructional program, and showed all the tools we expected he had,” Dipoto said. “He hits the ball hard. Super athlete. He’s got an excellent range in center field. Very selective at the plate. We saw a lot of the things that we wanted to see from Taylor.”
Before joining the Mariners, the 22-year-old was the MVP of the 2018 All-Star Futures Game, and consistency in the batter’s box and on the base paths helped him climb quickly through Cincinnati’s system. The Reds drafted Trammell in the first round in 2016 out of Mount Paran Christian School in Georgia.
Though Trammell’s production dipped some in his first season in Double-A last year with the Reds and later the Padres — he hit 234/.340/.349 with 12 doubles, four triples, 10 homers, 43 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 67 walks to 122 strikeouts — he ended the year by barreling up the grand slam that lifted Double-A Amarillo to a Texas League title in 2019.
Given the absence of the minor league season this year, it is likely Trammell spends much of 2021 in either Double- or Triple-A if there is a season, but he remains one of several prospects the Mariners expect to be a key part of their future.
“We’re a young team,” Trammell said this summer from Cheney Stadium. “I’ve played against the guys and played with some of the guys — in the farm and (some who are in) the big leagues — and the energy, I think it matches well with me.
“I just feel that this is honestly a good opportunity for me just to get out there and just play. Just be myself. … Just going out there and playing my game and contributing as much as possible.”
Delaplane was part of Seattle’s 60-man player pool in 2020, and spent the summer in Tacoma. After a strong spring training, the 25-year-old reliever appeared on track to debut for the Mariners at some point during the shortened season, but remained at the alternate site throughout.
“Sam has probably been among the most dominant performers from a relief pitching standpoint in the minor leagues over the course of the last couple of years,” Dipoto said. “Obviously this summer he was slowed down a little bit while down in Tacoma at the alternate site. Like so many guys, he didn’t bounce back particularly well between Spring Training 1 and alternate site summer camp.
“Let’s call it a step in development that we weren’t expecting, but we’ve never doubted Sam’s ability to go strike them out, and he’s been a fantastic performer throughout, and we believe he’ll have a major league career in front of him, and this is indicative of that.”
Delaplane split time between High-A Modesto and Double-A Arkansas in 2019, finishing with a 6-3 record and 2.23 ERA across 46 relief appearances. He struck out 120 batters and walked 23 while also recording seven saves.
He was selected by the Mariners in the 23rd round in 2017.
Mills was not in Seattle’s player pool this summer, but surprised the Mariners this fall pitching in the instructional league in Peoria with an uptick in velocity — his fastball can reach the upper 90s and is consistently sitting at 94-95 mph with an improved slider, Dipoto said — he built while working out at home.
“Wyatt’s always been a solid performer, but his stuff took to a different level,” Dipoto said. “It was very clear that this summer he spent a good deal of time working on a variety of different things that I’m not sure if he would have had the same chance to work on with a normal game schedule, just in terms of building arm strength and the like.
“So, it’s a real big step for Wyatt.”
The 25-year-old pitched for Double-A Arkansas in 2019, finishing 4-2 with a 4.27 ERA across 41 relief appearances. He struck out 66 and walked 17 while tallying eight saves.
Mills was a third-round pick by the Mariners in 2017 out of Gonzaga.
Then returned to the Mariners midway through the 2019 season as part of the trade that sent Edwin Encarnacion to the Yankees. The 20-year-old split time between the AZL Mariners, Short-A Everett and Low-A West Virginia, posting a 2.98 ERA in 11 appearances with 48 strikeouts and 13 walks.
This is Then’s second stint with Seattle’s organization. He was signed as an international free agent by the club in 2016.
He pitched at the alternate site in Tacoma this summer as part of the player pool and in the instructional league.
“I’m not sure that there is a young player in our system, over the course of the last 12-15 months, that has taken a bigger step forward than Juan has,” Dipoto said. “ ... We have seen not just a creep in velocity, but went from when we saw Juan as a 17-year-old throwing 87-88, occasionally hitting 90-91. Now he’s hitting 100 with some regularity, sitting in the 96-97 range with his fastball, and we saw a lot of progress with his slider, and Juan’s always had a good changeup.
“So, really excited about where he is in his development.”
The 40-man roster is now at 39 players, leaving an additional spot should the Mariners select a player in this year’s Rule 5 Draft, which is scheduled for Dec. 10.
Seattle selected a pair of right-handed relievers in Brandon Brennan (2018 from Rockies) and Yohan Ramirez (2019 from Astros) the past two seasons.
The only eligible prospect the Mariners left unprotected is third baseman Joe Rizzo. Considered the No. 21 prospect in the system, Rizzo participated in the instructional league this fall and has played as high as High-A.
Rizzo was drafted in the second round by the Mariners in 2016 out of Oakton High School in Virginia.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 1:20 PM.
