According to Ty Dane Gonzalez of the Locked on Mariners podcast, the Seattle Mariners are signing outfielder Victor Robles. The Mariners did option Jonatan Clase earlier on Monday to open an active roster spot for Robles. Robles, 27, was once regarded as a top prospect with the Washington Nationals who didn’t find his footing. He was met with underwhelming performances and injury absences altogether. The Nationals moved on from Robles last week, designating him for assignment. Trade options were bleak as nothing came to the Nationals liking, ultimately releasing Robles. Washington remains on the hook for his $2.65 million salary, meaning the Mariners only have to pay $740,000, which is the league minimum.
Robles will join the Mariners on Tuesday in Oakland at the start of a six-game road trip.
Mariners to Sign Victor Robles
MLB Pipeline once ranked Robles as the No. 4 overall prospect in baseball. He’s the last remaining player from the 2019 World Series championship team, spending his entire career with the Nationals. Robles got off to a good start in 2019, hitting 17 home runs and slashing .255/.326/.419. The Nationals expected him to continue to evolve as a player, but things went in the opposite direction. From 2020-22, Robles hit .216/.291/.306 in 291 games. The club’s fortunes also went down as they entered a rebuilding phase. Dave Martinez, who managed Robles for the majority of his career, was emotional about his release.
“It was definitely emotional,” Martinez said last week. “Those are always the toughest days when you have to lose a player, especially a guy like [Robles]. I’ve known him for many years. He helped us win a World Series. It was tough. All I could tell him is that I wish him the best and keep going. He needs to find himself. He’ll help another team somewhere. I have a lot of feelings and emotions for [Robles]. We don’t win a World Series without him.”
Robles has struggled at the plate this season, posting a .120/.281/.120 slash line with no extra-base hits in 33 plate appearances. In his tenure with the Nationals, he owns a line of .236/.311/.356. He has a .989 fielding percentage with 1,177 putouts.
Victor Robles just posted this goodbye message to all the Nationals fans.
Victor spent 11 years in the Washington Nationals organization. pic.twitter.com/gpEfV5K4Ji
— Arving Gonzalez (@ArvingGonzalez) June 2, 2024
Main Photo: © Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
