Trammell is Rule 5 eligible this December, so the Padres would have had to make a choice on him one method or another– a choice that will now pass to the Mariners, who have significantly more flexibility with their roster. See, its really an excellent thing the Mariners dont have a Tatís Jr.
Trammell was hardly in the Top 100 draft prospects in Baseball Americas first mock draft in March, but had actually climbed just outside the leading 30 by May (fun reality, that mock draft also had Kyle Lewis going 2nd general), into the low 20s by late May, and all the way to 12th total in the final June mock draft (in which Kyle Lewis moved to 3rd, and the Mariners were projected to take Justin Dunn the pick before Trammell). At 6 2 and currently close to 200 pounds, the expectation for Trammell was that he would ultimately grow into a power-speed gamer– something that would need to occur, as his arm strength in the outfield was considered too fringy for anything however left field. Hell sign up with a group with the biggest number of Black players in baseball, where gamers are encouraged to be themselves, where analytics are a typical language in analyzing the craft, and where the psychological side of the game– the thing that waylaid Trammell when he initially joined the Padres company– is given as much attention as anything thats done on the field. The Mariners are banking on Trammell adjusting well to the system and growing as a gamer, but also as a person.
There was something else going on for Trammell in the Texas League. Trammell, who is a swing tinkerer to start with, went back and viewed film, making some changes to his position to help him access his power more, standing taller, changing his hand position, and narrowing his stance.
Then, with Amarillo, you can see the stance narrow:.
If you believed Jerry Dipoto was going to let the trade deadline slide by unnoticed, welcome to Lookout Landing, because you should be brand-new here, you sweet summertime kid. Wipe your feet and follow the community standards. Yet even those of us who have been charged with reporting on the offers of Seattles frenzied GM were rather wrong-footed by the large scope of the deal that decreased yesterday. If you need a fast refresh on the offer, you can find that here. Now that the dust has actually decided on this offer (FOR NOW), were going to spend the rest of the week taking an extensive take a look at each of the 4 players the Mariners got. The rational location to start is with Taylor Trammell, the ostensible headliner of this trade and the most extremely ranked gamer pertaining to Seattle.
( Yesterday there were murmurings the Mariners might be flipping Trammell as reports swirled about a three-team trade. If Taylor Trammell is still a Mariner as youre reading this, continue.
The sensible location to begin is with Taylor Trammell, the ostensible headliner of this trade and the most extremely ranked player coming to Seattle.
And then here, in this previous Spring Training, where hes gone nearly Bellinger-upright and included a small leg kick:.
Heres Trammell striking in 2017 in the Midwest League. Note the pre-pitch bat waggle, the crouch-y, large stance, and where his hands are:.
Load up that joy and drive it up I-5, Taylor. We are ready for it here in Seattle.
Why did the Padres offer this gamer up?
Why did the Mariners target this gamer?
What is the best-case scenario for this gamer, and what needs to happen for them to get there?
What are the dangers?
Outfield is one location where the Mariners rebuild is in fact quite flush, which is funny to consider when you consider the quantity of time non-outfielders are getting in the corner areas in 2020. The Mariners didnt exactly target Trammell (whose name, by the way, is noticable Trah-MELL, accent on the 2nd syllable) since of his position. TT has several other characteristics that light up the pleased sensing units in Jerry Dipotos brain.
And another from the Futures Game in 2019, where hes slightly more upright and the hands are away from the body more:.
Trammell is super-fast, with a floor of 20 taken bases annually, so he fits right in with the run-happy Mariners “all your bases are belong to us” method. He also checks the box of “post-hype prospect”/” former first-rounder who maybe wasnt developed awesomely” (J.P. Crawford waves hello). A two-sport professional athlete in high school in Kennesaw, GA (in addition to baseball, he was likewise a safety/running back for the football team), Trammell was a buzzed-about name in the 2016 draft despite not being as heavily on the display scene as some of his peers; he was a late addition to the 2015 Under Armour Game and wasnt at the Perfect Game All-American Classic, two of the greatest display occasions in the nation. Trammell was hardly in the Top 100 draft potential customers in Baseball Americas very first mock draft in March, however had climbed just outside the leading 30 by May (fun fact, that mock draft also had Kyle Lewis going second total), into the low 20s by late May, and all the method to 12th general in the last June mock draft (wherein Kyle Lewis moved to 3rd, and the Mariners were projected to take Justin Dunn the choice before Trammell). In the actual draft, Trammell lasted all the way to the additional preliminary, where the Reds– who had currently taken Nick Senzel and would receive stacks of recognition for their draft– attacked.
Trammell was eventually moved to the Padres last July in the three-team trade that saw Cincinnati net Trevor Bauer and Cleveland, Puig and Franmil Reyes. Trammells numbers perked up some at Double-A Amarillo– his ISO leapt from.100 to.150– however its important to note that the Padres brand-new field, Hodgetown, is an unbelievably offense-inflated hitters park. That is shown in Trammells home/road splits: in Amarillo he hit.269/.347/.493; while on the roadway, an abysmal.176/.276/.235.
That analytical technique speaks to yet another thing the Mariners reward in their potential customers. Trammell, from all accounts, earns rave evaluations as a person: thoughtful, humble, and reflective on the requirement for more Black representation in the video game. Hell join a group with the largest number of Black players in baseball, where players are motivated to be themselves, where analytics are a common language in evaluating the craft, and where the psychological side of the game– the important things that waylaid Trammell when he first signed up with the Padres company– is given as much attention as anything thats done on the field. The Mariners are relying on Trammell adapting well to the system and prospering as a player, however also as a person. So far hes currently off to a pretty excellent start in feeling in the house here, ideally:.
The Athletic article talks a lot about Trammell attempting to rediscover his totally free, lose, and easy playing design, something he did towards the end of the 2019 season as part of a champion run with the Amarillo Sod Poodles.
At 6 2 and already near 200 pounds, the expectation for Trammell was that he would ultimately become a power-speed gamer– something that would require to take place, as his arm strength in the outfield was thought about too fringy for anything but left field. As mentioned, Trammell has elite speed– hes a 70-grade runner– however his arm was viewed as too weak for right and even center, putting more pressure on the bat. (Trammell, to his credit, has actually dealt with developing arm strength, and is offended by constant worrying about his arm. “Its not a little floppy thing” he told The Athletic back in March.) To circle back to our essential concerns and the ceiling/risk part, the ceiling for Trammell depends on if he can strike enough to develop into the power-speed risk prospect writers dreamed on early in his profession.
tip that Taylor Trammells last main at-bat of 2019 (and as a Padres possibility) was a go-ahead grand slam for the @sodpoodles in the top of the 9th inning of the Texas League championship video game pic.twitter.com/FxLSlkNFKZ— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) August 31, 2020.
Another huge moment for Taylor Trammell in last nights video game. He had 2 hits last night in Game 1 of the TLCS.
His last 15 games (regular/postseason):.
.368 BA, 3 HR, 9 RBI pic.twitter.com/mMTSL5Vrhe— Sam Levitt (@SammyLev) September 11, 2019.
For all these possibility pieces, well be looking primarily at four huge concerns:.
