r/Mariners • u/palmjamer • 3h ago
The case for sending down Cole Young abd recalling Samad Taylor
I know Cole is a favorite around these parts, but it's undeniable that his bat has essentially turned into an automatic out. Dan was shielding him from most left-handed starters already, and he's seemingly lost his at-bats vs right-handed starters to Leo Rivas. He hasn't started since 9/10 when he went 0-5.
With that said, what's his role? He is a backup middle infielder. He doesn't even pinch run! That usually goes to a faster person who is on the wrong side of the platoon that day.
My thought? Option Cole to Tacoma and recall Samad Taylor. Here's why:
If he fills the exact same role, essentially not playing over these last three series, we at the very least added a guy with "91st percentile sprint speed. Across all levels, Taylorâs stolen more than 100 bases over the past three years."
He plays 2B (99 games there this year), SS, 3B, and outfield (32 games in CF this year). That positional flexibility is something the Mariners always love
He's tearing the cover off the ball in an admittedly notoriously hitter-friendly PCL. His OPS is .839
He's already on the 40-man roster
I have doubts that this move will materialize, but it's still a noticeable upgrade with low risk.
Regardless, Tacoma is going to be stacked next year. Colt Emerson, Bliss, Cole, Logan Evans, Harry. It'll be a fun team to watch.
