Scouting the Mariners' Rule 5 additions (and losses)
Seattle added a hitter and an arm in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft Monday.
The Seattle Mariners selected two players in Monday’s Rule 5 Draft, and lost another. Here’s who they are, with scouting notes.
NOTE: The Mariners made no selections, nor did they lose a player, in the big-league phase.
The eligible players for the MiLB phase of the Rule 5 Draft are any player not added to the 38-man Triple-A reserve (or the org’s 40-man, of course) that has the qualifying service time in pro ball.
Players selected in the minor league phase can be assigned to any level of the organization. There are no roster distinctions in the MiLB phase.
Added (MiLB phase)
Carson Taylor, 1B/C (PHI)Taylor was a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 after a strong hit-and-catch career at Virginia Tech. He’s a switch-hitter with bat speed that has turned into fringe-average game power in his minor league career, despite just four homers in his two college seasons.
He’ll draw walks, and his swing allows for enough contact for the tools to play some at the plate, but he’s a well below-average glove behind the plate, putting all the pressure on his bat at it. He hasn’t caught in the minors since a 38-start run in 2023. He was a Rule 5 pick of the Phillies the following December.
Sean Hermann, RHP (LAD)
Hermann just completed his first full season as a reliever, and it didn’t go well. He’s made just one appearance above Low-A ball. He was a 14th-round pick in 2021.
The 6-foot, 175-pound right-hander sits 91-93 mph with a two-seamer showing some sink and run. He has a mid-80s changeup with some depth, a low-80s curveball, and an 82-85 mph slider. The slider and change are his best pitches.
He’s yet to generate high strikeout numbers outside his six-start stretch in complex ball, but has induced a healthy rate of ground balls, which is a skill Seattle seems to value more than the majority of clubs in baseball.
It’s a low three-quarter slot and quick arm, creating deception on his changeup.
Hermann is just 22 and has touched 94 mph, suggesting some tools to plug into the Mariners’ development machine. Whether he remains in a relief role or goes back to the rotation remains to be seen.
LOST (MiLB phase)
Cole Phillips, RHP (MIL)
Phillips was a second-round pick by the Braves back in 2022 and came to the Mariners via the 2023 trade that sent Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales, and Evan White to Atlanta, with Phillips and Jackson Kowar heading west.
He’s had two UCL surgeries, the most recent in February of 2024.
Phillips has never thrown a professional pitch, but arm strength (96 mph as a prep), a projectable breaking ball, and prototypical size had him on the radar in Round 1 three years ago.
