Mailbag Monday: Prospects, La Stella
On this week’s mailbag I tackle your questions on Tommy La Stella, prospects and much more!
It’s an off day for your Seattle Mariners and at Sea Level, so we are here to take your questions! As always you can send them in at any time via email, comment them on any article, or send them in the chat! Let’s get into it.
Why did the Mariners send Cooper Hummel down in favor of Tommy La Stella? - All of Mariners Twitter
The answer here is pretty simple whether you choose to agree with it or not, Cooper Hummel needs at bats.
There is still plenty to like about Hummel and his bat, but he isn’t getting much of an opportunity to hit on any consistent basis. For those that say they should keep Hummel for his ability to catch, he hasn’t been asked to do that once yet in a Mariner uniform.
Neither player is getting much of an opportunity at all to play, so it makes sense to send down the one with more upside in his bat. The Mariners know exactly what Tommy La Stella is, and at this point he is little more than a place holder.
La Stella doesn’t have options, so once they decide to remove him from the roster he will need to be designated for assignment. Since his roster spot isn’t being used anyways it makes more sense to wait until Taylor Trammell or Cade Marlowe is available to be added to the roster, and then DFA La Stella.
Hummel getting consistent at bats at Tacoma allows for his bat to continue to stay sharp and be developed.
When will Cade Marlowe and Taylor Trammell be added to the roster? - @Ben_Whitt2
Cade Marlowe and Taylor Trammell have both showed flashes of being valuable pieces to the Mariners this season, and if both are healthy can be ready to contribute in a somewhat meaningful way right now.
Trammell was an above average bat last season, the issue has always been availability. He hasn’t been able to stay on the field consistently which has hurt his standing on this team, but the progress his bat has showed over the last year is very encouraging.
He has spent much of the last two offseasons working out at Driveline Baseball, and the reports I have heard from his hitting coaches are impressive. Their projection models seem to indicate his obvious improvement and ascension sooner rather than later.
With that being said Trammell suffered a hamate bone injury in Peoria, and those can tend to linger and affect power. If he seems to be hitting at Tacoma he should be called up as early as Tuesday’s road trip. In 14 at bats he is hitting .357, a good sign for a player I think can be an enormous addition to this team.
If Trammell continues to have availability issues, Cade Marlowe would be the next option. Marlowe is a really fun player, and one that stood out to me profoundly at Spring Training.
While is swing is somewhat Hunter Pence-esque, Marlowe is extremely powerful with the ability to steal bases and get extra bases. He has hit at every stop along his minor league journey, and I expect him to be a player that performs much better than his prospect status would indicate.
Spencer Packard and Reid VanScoter mini scouting reports. Also, are there any other super underrated prospects in the system right now that ARENT in the pipeline top 30?- Daniel Teten
Great question Daniel. Let’s start with Spencer Packard, who is 25 years old and currently playing at Double-A Arkansas.
Packard who will turn 26 in October, was selected in the ninth round of the 2021 draft. Ever since his selection, all he has done is put up numbers.
As an older hitter, the 5-10 210 pound outfielder has been playing against players who are generally much younger than him throughout his time in the minor leagues. He missed time with a thumb injury in 2022, stunting his ability to move up the ranks even further.
The left handed outfielder has a nice hit tool and some pop, and is already hitting .441 at Arkansas to start the 2023 campaign. As a hitter he has good plate discipline and nice contact and power numbers, both above average at this point.
His defense is sub par in the corner outfield spots, and has also played a small amount of first base. Packard’s age works against him, but he still projects similar to Cade Marlowe but with less tools.
He should be a fourth outfield type, and potentially the strong side of a platoon.
Reid VanScoter is a 24 year old left handed pitcher out of Coastal Carolina. We haven’t seen a ton of him yet, but theres a good chance he could make his way to Arkansas at some point this year.
VanScoter is an older prospect for Everett, but it is hard not to take notice of his numbers over his first three starts. He has put together a 2-0 record in 16 innings, with 16 strikeouts and just six hits allowed.
His start has been eye opening, and nobody should be surprised. His ceiling is probably a back of the rotation arm, but the Mariners pitching development has done wonders for plenty of Seattle prospects.
The prospect that isn’t showing up on lists that people should know is Hogan Windish. All this kid has done is hit his entire life.
He should continue to hit, and while he seems positionless right now I think he could be a guy who could handle second base and play first as well.
His bat is going to carry him to the big leagues, and he already has some of the most plate appearances of anybody in the 2022 draft. Windish can flat-out rake, and I am looking forward to watching him fly through the system.
I believe he could be the replacement at first base for Ty France, and that is my player comp for him. The swing is different, but the body and ability to find barrel is a solid comparison.
Thanks for reading! If you haven’t checked out our new and improved subscription tiers, go take a look!