The Dodgers have claimed outfielder Taylor Trammell off waivers from the Mariners, who’d designated him for assignment last week, Robert Murray of FanSided reports. Trammell is out of minor league options, so he’ll go right onto the Dodgers’ active roster.
Now 26 years old, Trammell was the No. 35 overall pick by the Reds back in 2016. He ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects each season from 2018-21 and has participated in a pair of Futures Games but hasn’t yet found success in the majors. He had multiple auditions with the Mariners — who acquired him alongside Andres Munoz and Ty France in exchange for Austin Nola, Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla — but has produced only a .168/.270/.368 batting line with a huge 37% strikeout rate in 351 MLB plate appearances.
That said, Trammell has been vastly better in Triple-A. He’s spent parts of three seasons there as well, turning in a stout .274/.381/.506 batting line with a 24% strikeout rate that’s worlds better than his MLB clip. Trammell has shown off his eye at the plate both in the majors (11.1% walk rate) and in Triple-A (14%).
Trammell’s once better-than-average speed has declined, as Statcast ranked him in just the 43rd percentile of MLB players in average sprint speed last year. His defensive grades from metrics like Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved haven’t lined up with scouting reports that pegged him as a potentially plus defender in the outfield, either. Trammell has probably hit for more power than was expected early in his prospect days. His .368 slugging isn’t much to look at, but when considering his low batting average, he’s sitting on a .200 ISO in his big league career. He’s also popped 38 homers in his 812 Triple-A plate appearances.
His role with the Dodgers is yet to be determined, though fellow lefty-swinging outfielder Jason Heyward has been dealing with a back issue. If Heyward needs to miss any time, Trammell could step into his role as a stopgap until the veteran is able to return.