Seattle Mariner Non-Roster Invitees Breakdown (Hitters)
Joe Swenson
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Catchers
Projected Opening Day Catchers: Tom Murphy (starter) Luis Torrens (back-up).
There shouldn’t be any surprises amongst the catcher invites. None of them are expected to challenge for an opening day roster spot; unless Murphy or Torrens go down with an injury. At that point, O’Keefe or Morgan would be at the top of the replacement list. Raleigh needs at least one more year in the minors, specifically at AAA.
Carter Bins – 22 years old – Nothing more than organizational depth to handle the plethora of pitchers. Carter Bins doesn’t swing the bat well. In his 187 plate appearances, he walked 33 times and struck out 56 times. His .391 OBP and .748 were impressive despite a .208 average.
Jose Godoy – 26 years old – After spending eight seasons in the Cardinals organization, he finally made it to AAA in 2019. Godoy profiles as a decent bat, but more than anything, he’s likely to be organizational depth.
Josh Morgan – 25 years old – Morgan spent six seasons in the Rangers organization before signing a contract to play in Australia. He batted .330 with a .922 OPS. Throughout his career, Morgan showed good plate discipline but no power. If he stays, it will be for organizational depth.
Brian O’Keefe – 28 years old – Brian is the elder statesman of the non-roster invitees behind the plate. He exhibits decent power and takes some walks. Unfortunately, O’Keefe strikeouts at a rate higher than league average. Likely to be cut at some point.
Cal Raleigh – 24 years old – His power is prodigious. He played in 121 games and had 455 at-bats in 2019 at high A and AA and ended up mashing 29 home runs. His average was less than desirable, but he checks many boxes towards being a future Major League catcher. He won’t supplant either Murphy or Torrens for at least another year.