The Seattle Mariners entered Wednesday just two wins away from the first World Series appearance in franchise history â a history which dates back to the founding of the franchise as an American League expansion team in 1977.
But just two days before the AL Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays â also a 1977 AL expansion team â began, the Mariners lost one of their few players from the 2025 team who has actually played on a winning World Series team, but who chose to leave the club for free agency.
On the Mariners’ current roster, outfielder Victor Robles was a member of the 2019 Washington Nationals World Series championship team. Another outfielder, Randy Arozarena, played on the 2020 edition of the Tampa Bay Rays which went to the World Series in that pandemic-shortened season, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Finally, 34-year-old backup catcher and DH Mitch Garver won a ring with the Texas Rangers in 2023. On those Rangers, Garver was teammates with another 2025 Mariners outfielder, Leody Taveras, a 27-year-old six-year veteran who was claimed off waivers by Seattle on May 6.
Seattle Absorbed $3.5 Million in Salary
Signed as an international amateur free agent by Texas in 2015 for a $2.1 million bonus, Taveras was considered a top prospect. Following the 2020 season, in which he appeared in 33 games for Texas with four home runs and a .703 OPS, MLB Pipeline listed the switch-hitting outfielder as the No. 4 prospect in the Rangers’ farm system.
Texas signed Taveras to a one-year, $4.75 million contract before the 2025 season, but put him on waivers about a month into the 2025 campaign to shed as much of that salary obligation as possible.
The Mariners picked up the Tenares, Dominican Republic, native as a a depth player for their outfield, absorbing approximately $3.5 million of what the Rangers would have owed him, according to an MLB.com report.
The Mariners hoped that Taveras would hold down an outfield spot until the return of the then-injured Robles, who dislocated his left shoulder chasing a fly ball into the netting at San Francisco’s Oracle Park on April 7, and did not return until August 23.
But Taveras did not make it that far with the team. After appearing in only 28 games with 16 hits in 92 at-bats â though he did hit two home runs â the Mariners had seen enough. The club designated Taveras for assignment, outrighting him to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainers once he cleared waivers.
Taveras Had Postseason Experience
Because he had never been re-added to the Mariners’ roster and his resumé showed at least three years of MLB service time, Taveras became eligible for minor league free agency, an option he chose to exercise on October 10.
In the 2023 postseason with the Rangers, Taveras picked up 10 hits and 10 walks in 67 plate appearances across all four series. Among his hits were a home run, a double and a triple.
Appearing in all five World Series games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Taveras did not record any hits, but did walk three times and scored two runs as the Rangers captured their first and only championship since starting life as a 1961 expansion team, the Washington Senators. The team moved to Texas in 1972.
The biggest moment for Taveras with Seattle came on May 21 when, in a road game against the Chicago White Sox, he blasted what turned out to be a game-winning, two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to put Seattle in front 6-5.
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