Mariners add Haggerty and Leone to MLB club as rosters expand
Sep 1, 2023, 12:11 PM
Sam Haggerty of the Seattle Mariners scores the go-ahead run on July 14, 2022. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
(Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
The Seattle Mariners kick off September in New York against the Mets, and they’ll have two reinforcements when they do so.
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With the calendar flipping to September, MLB rosters have expanded from 26 to 28. With that, the Mariners added utility man Sam Haggerty back to the club and also have a new arm in the bullpen in Dominic Leone, who the M’s got off waivers on Thursday.
Haggerty, 29, has been up and down between MLB and Triple-A for the Mariners this year. The switch-hitter has slashed .208/.311/.302 (.613 OPS) with three extra-base hits in 32 games for the M’s this year. He has dominated in Triple-A, though, slashing .324/.419/.578 (.997 OPS) in 47 games. Haggerty gives the Mariners another option for second base and the outfield, as well as another weapon off the bench as a pinch runner. Haggerty stole 13 bases last season and is 26 for 29 in stolen base attempts in his MLB career.
As for Leone, he rejoins the organization that drafted him.
The 31-year-old right-hander was a 16th-round pick of the Mariners in 2012 and made his MLB debut in 2014, where he pitched very well as a rookie. The next year, he was part of a six-player trade with Arizona that brought Mark Trumbo and Vidal Nuño to Seattle.
Overall in his 10-year career, Leone has a 3.81 ERA, 4.07 FIP and 1.379 WHIP as well as a 9.4 strikeouts per nine rate.
Leone began this year in the Texas Rangers organization before landing with the Mets, who he pitched 40 games for. He was traded to the Los Angeles Angels at the MLB Trade Deadline where he pitched 11 games before being waived this week.
Overall, Leone has a 4.74 ERA, 5.37 FIP and 1.420 WHIP in 43 2/3 innings this season.
Leone is a three-pitch pitcher, using a four-seam fastball, cutter and slider.
The heater averages 95.5 mph this year, according to Statcast, and Leone has used it 39.1% of the time. The cutter averages 91.9 mph and has been used 32.9% of the time this year, and the slider has averaged 85 mph with a 28% usage.
Leone joins a Mariners bullpen that, even with the trade of Paul Sewald at the deadline, has been among the best in baseball.
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