Texas Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras (3) is greeted by third baseman Jake Burger (21) after scoring during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field on April 16. Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Here's What Jerry Dipoto Had to Say About Seattle Mariners' New Roster Addition

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated May 7, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Seattle Mariners successfully claimed outfielder Leody Taveras off waivers from the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. They'll pay Taveras $3.5 million in salary for the rest of the year.

The 26-year-old is a six-year veteran of the Rangers, helping them win the World Series in 2023. Known as a solid defender and a good runner, Taveras is a lifetime .240 hitter, though he hit .266 with 14 homers and 67 RBI in that 2023 season. He was off to a slow start with Texas this year, hitting just .241 with one homer and eight RBIs.

The Mariners picked him up to help address roster depth issues that have been caused by injuries to Luke Raley and Victor Robles, who are both out until around the All-Star break. The Mariners did something similar with Robles last season, who became a huge part of the team's roster over the second half of the season.

Speaking on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast, here's what Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations, had to say about the move:

We committed pretty early internally like 'we're going to put in a claim and I hope he gets to us,' and we were kind of surprised that he did. And he's 26 years old. He's a year and a month removed from a 2.5 win season playing centerfield every day for the world champs and he's a 65/70 runner. He's got a 65/70 hose. He has stolen 20 plus bags in a season he'll give you 12, 15 homers, and that's not considering the athleticism and the upside that he still brings to the dance at 26

And he's making a little bit of money this year but he's under club control for the next two years which makes it even more appealing to us. And right now, with so many players banged up and injured, we had real opportunity and we thought this is an opportunity to try to cash in on a young guy and not too dissimilar a way to what we did last year with Victor Robles.

The Mariners are back in action on Wednesday afternoon against the Athletics in West Sacramento. First pitch is set for 12:35 p.m. PT. Taveras is expected to join the team, but it's unknown if he'll be ready to play on Wednesday.

The Mariners are off on Thursday before opening a new series on Friday night with the Toronto Blue Jays.

This article first appeared on Seattle Mariners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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