The Mariners have reportedly signed first baseman Rangel Ravelo to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, per reporter Francys Romero.
Ravelo, 31, was a sixth-round pick by the White Sox in the 2010 draft. He made his major league debut with the Cardinals in 2019 and appeared in parts of two seasons with the club, slashing a combined .189/.250/.351 in 84 plate appearances. After initially signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers ahead of the 2021 season, Ravelo departed stateside ball to play for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Orix Buffaloes in Japan after slashing .407/.504/.758 in 26 games with LA’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Unfortunately, Ravelo’s two-year stint in Japan did not go well, as he hit just .169/.308/.231 in 78 trips to the plate with the Buffaloes. He returned to stateside ball in 2023 after signing a minor league deal with the Padres last winter. While he did not appear in the big leagues, Ravelo hit well in 59 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in El Paso, producing a .310/.428/.473 slash line across 258 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, Ravelo’s 2023 campaign was evidently cut short by injury as he was placed on the IL near the end of June and spent the remainder of the season on the shelf.
The addition of Ravelo provides the Mariners with some non-roster depth at first base and DH after the club elected earlier this month to non-tender slugger Mike Ford, who took the lion’s share of DH at-bats for Seattle last year. While Ravelo has largely played first base throughout his lengthy professional career, it’s worth noting that he’s seen occasional playing time in left field in recent years, making him at least a plausible depth option for a club that figures to mix and match between the likes of Cade Marlowe, Sam Haggerty, Dylan Moore, and Taylor Trammell in left field next season as things stand.
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