The Mariners introduced that each infielder/outfielder Austin Shenton and right-hander Jesse Hahn have cleared waivers and been despatched outright to Triple-A Tacoma. Each gamers had been designated for project in separate transactions final week.
Shenton, 27, was the participant extra more likely to be claimed. He’s comparatively younger, can nonetheless be optioned for this 12 months and yet another, and has first rate numbers on the farm. From 2021 to 2024, he stepped to the plate 1,540 occasions for numerous minor league golf equipment. His 27.3% strikeout price in that point was excessive however he additionally drew walks at a robust 14.1% clip and hit 71 house runs. That led to a mixed .281/.390/.529 line and 138 wRC+. He additionally had a good .214/.340/.405 line in his first 50 massive league plate appearances, which got here with the Rays final 12 months.
He was flipped to the Mariners going into 2025 and his offense has fallen off this 12 months. Earlier than getting designated for project, he posted a .207/.284/.413 line in 169 Triple-A plate appearances. A part of that could be a .242 batting common on balls in play however his 29% strikeout price is excessive even for him, whereas his stroll price is right down to an uncharacteristically low 8.3%.
Shenton isn’t thought of an particularly sturdy defender and isn’t a burner on the basepaths, so he must hit to supply worth. He has completed that via massive parts of his minor league profession however his dip this 12 months has apparently been sufficient that no membership is keen to offer him a 40-man roster spot in the intervening time. Since that is his first profession outright and he has lower than three years of huge league service time, he doesn’t have the best to elect free company, so he’ll present the M’s with some non-roster depth.
As for Hahn, he’s a 35-year-old hurler who hasn’t been a mainstay within the massive leagues since 2020. He missed 2022 and 2023 resulting from a shoulder harm after which was caught within the minors in 2024. This 12 months, the Mariners have twice chosen his contract to function an emergency arm. The primary time, he made two appearances earlier than being designated for project and handed via waivers. He returned on a contemporary minor league deal and was chosen again to the roster final week, this time getting DFA’d after only one look.
Now that he has been handed via waivers once more, he has the best to reject this outright project and elect free company, although he might settle for it or return to the M’s on a brand new deal like he did final time.
Photograph courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Photos
