What Might Seattle Mariners Be Waiting For With Regards to a Cole Young Promotion?

CHICAGO - Questions are beginning to grow louder as to when the Seattle Mariners will promote top infield prospect Cole Young to the major league roster.

Currently playing at Triple-A Tacoma, the 21-year-old, who was a first-round pick in 2022, is hitting .347 in the month of May with four home runs. His five triples are tied for the league-lead in the PCL. He's one of nine Mariners prospects to be ranked inside the MLB Top 100 prospects. He checks in at No. 43 overall.

Speaking on the most recent edition of the Refuse to Lose podcast, ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney discussed what teams are looking for or thinking about with regards to prospect promotion:

So, ​the ​Royals ​are ​going ​through ​the ​same ​thing ​with ​their ​top​ prospect, ​Jac Caglianone. ​You ​know, ​for ​a ​team ​that ​is ​desperately ​needing ​offense ​from ​its ​outfielders, ​they've ​taken ​this ​first ​baseman ​who's ​really ​big ​as and hits for ​a ​lot ​for ​a ​lot ​of ​power, ​and ​they're ​playing him ​in ​the ​outfield ​a ​little ​bit ​more, ​and ​they're ​in ​the ​same ​evaluation ​stage ​that ​I ​think ​the ​Mariners ​are. And, I ​think ​that ​they'll ​wind ​up ​having ​some ​similar ​trajectories. ​First ​and ​foremost, ​I ​think ​that ​a ​lot ​of ​the ​evaluators ​look ​at ​the ​walks ​and ​strikeouts and how ​much ​balance ​is ​there...

You can hear Olney's full thoughts in the podcast player below:

If and when the Mariners do pull up Young, there will be roster questions to answer, such as what happens to Ben Williamson, Leo Rivas, Miles Mastrobuoni and Donovan Solano?

The Mariners play the Astros on Friday night at 5:10 p.m. PT.