M’s ink trio of right-handed pitchers. Seattle’s international signing class grows to 14
With spring training delayed and MLB owners still in talks with players to end a nearly three-month-long lockout, Seattle signed three international players and upped their signing class to 14.
Joining the Mariners organization are a trio of Venezuelan right-handed pitchers: Anderson Guevara, Luis Martinez, and Eduardo Tovar.
Director of International Amateur Scouting Frankie Thon Jr. described each signing in Wednesday’s release.
Guevara, 18, stands at 5-foot-10 and flashes an up-tempo delivery and “fast arm.” He’ll mix together a fastball and curveball; the former can top 90 miles per hour, Thon Jr. said.
Considered the “all-around athlete” of the group, the 5-foot-11 Martinez impressed Seattle with his versatility. Recently brought to the mound after time in the outfield, the 17-year-old Martinez delivers an above-average curveball and uses a “compact and efficient delivery.”
Martinez grew up in Venezuela and lives in Colombia.
Tovar, 18, is the group’s strike-thrower, whose velocity sits in the high-80 range. At 6 feet tall, Tovar “has a smooth and balanced delivery” between his curveball and changeup and has “all the makings to be a potential starting pitcher,” Thon Jr. said.
As for baseball’s lockout that began Dec. 2, players and owners continue talks towards a new collective bargaining agreement. Both sides agreed on Feb. 28 as a “soft deadline” to complete negotiations to ensure a punctual start to the regular season, though MLB and the MLPA “remain far apart,” Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Tuesday.
Minor league camps are underway, though players currently on a team’s 40-man roster are ineligible until a new CBA is reached. MLB’s International Signing Period, which began on Jan. 15, was unaffected by the lockout.
On Feb. 18, MLB postponed spring training games through at least March 5.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
