ESPN MLB Insider Shares Great Story on Seattle Mariners' Rowdy Tellez

With decisions on the Opening Day roster looming, one of the biggest talking points around the Seattle Mariners is 'what's going to happen with Rowdy Tellez?'

The veteran slugger, signed to a minor league deal in mid-February, has put together a nice spring, hitting .256 with three homers and five RBIs. He's 11-for-43, also posting a .283 on-base percentage. And given that the team released Mitch Haniger on Sunday, the pathway for him to make the roster seems clear.

Now 30 years old, Tellez has hit 105 homers over seven major league seasons, including a career-high 35 for Milwaukee in 2022. If he is to officially make the Mariners, he'll provide an additional power threat at first base and at designated hitter.

Tellez has five seasons of double-digit home runs in his career and has broken the 20-homer plateau twice. He's a lifetime .234 hitter with a .303 on-base percentage. In addition to his power, he brings playoff experience and veteran leadership.

Speaking on a recent edition of the "Refuse to Lose" podcast, ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney shared a great story about Tellez and his clubhouse presence.

And ​Rowdy ​Tellez ​is ​known ​as ​a ​good ​clubhouse ​guy. ​I ​remember ​last ​year ​when ​David ​Bednar, ​the ​Pirates ​closer, ​was ​really ​struggling ​in ​the ​year, ​and ​he ​was ​being ​interviewed ​after ​a ​game ​by ​the ​media, ​asking ​tough ​questions ​after ​he'd blown ​a ​save. ​And ​Rowdy Tellez ​cut ​in ​in ​the ​middle ​of ​that ​interview ​and ​basically ​started ​telling ​the ​media, 'Look, ​this ​guy's ​our ​closer. ​He's ​our ​guy.' ​And ​it ​was ​an ​example ​of ​him ​supporting ​a ​teammate ​at ​a ​time ​when ​he ​was ​down. ​So ​Rowdy, ​you ​know, ​he ​has ​that ​in ​his ​background. ​He's ​played ​on ​good ​teams ​before. ​We'll ​see ​how ​he ​fits ​in ​on ​the ​roster. ​We'll ​see ​how ​his ​performances ​as ​he ​goes ​along.

You can hear the full interview below: