Seattle Mariners 2020 Review/2021 Preview – Middle Infield
Sam Haggerty, Seattle Mariners.
Playing the Field
Tim Lopes and Sam Haggerty may make next season’s roster as utility players. Lopes had both a good spring training and summer camp. He began the season with the Mariners and got off to a good start, batting .308 in July.
August was not as kind to Lopes. His average dipped to .240 by the end of the month. When France arrived from San Diego, the Mariners demoted Lopes to their alternate training site on September 3. He came back a week-and-half later, with a vengeance. Lopes went 3-for-3 in the first game of a doubleheader against Oakland, which the M’s won 6-5 and remained with Seattle for the rest of the season.
The Seattle Mariners claimed Sam Haggerty off waivers from the New York Mets in January. A longshot to make the opening roster, the switch hitter began the 2020 season at the Mariners alternate training camp. He came up to the M’s on August 19 and stuck around for two weeks. Unfortunately, a left forearm strain ended his season.
Haggerty is listed as a second baseman; however, he played mostly the outfield for the Mariners with a .260 average in those limited games. The former Indians 24th round pick has a nice set of wheels and makes good contact at the plate. We will have to see whether the Mariners will have room for both Lopes and Haggerty next season.
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