Mariners select righty Sanchez in Rule 5 Draft
Selection comes in Triple-A phase; club loses OF Blash in Major League portion
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Mariners selected right-handed pitcher Isaac Sanchez from the Pirates in the Triple-A portion of Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, but they didn't add anyone in the Major League phase of the process as their 40-man roster was already full.
Seattle lost outfielder Jabari Blash, who finished last season with Triple-A Tacoma, in the Major League part of the Draft. Blash was selected by the A's and then immediately traded to the Padres. The 26-year-old hit .271 with 32 home runs and 81 RBIs in 116 games between Double-A Jackson and Tacoma last year, including a .264 average with 22 homers and 47 RBIs in 56 games at the Triple-A level.
If Blash isn't kept on the Padres' 25-man roster throughout next season, he'll be exposed to waivers and then must be offered back to the Mariners if he goes unclaimed.
Video: CLE@SEA: Blash hits an RBI double to left-center
Sanchez, 23, went 2-3 with three saves and a 2.71 ERA over 66 1/3 innings in 42 relief appearances with Class A Advanced Bradenton in the Florida State League in 2015. The 6-footer limited opponents to a .242 batting average with 51 strikeouts and 24 walks.
"Isaac is a guy that our scouts and analytics really liked, some of the things he'd done at the lower levels," Mariners player personnel director Tom Allison said. "We think he adds some depth to our organization, and we'll see where he plays out when we get him into Minor League camp."
The Mariners also lost three players in the Triple-A phase. The Indians took left-hander Brian Moran and the Dodgers picked right-handed reliever Logan Bawcom and outfielder Julio Morban.
Moran, 27, was 2-1 with a 3.56 ERA in 25 relief outings for Jackson last year. He has gone through the Rule 5 process before and was selected by Toronto in the Major League part of the Draft in 2013 and traded to the Angels, but eventually he was returned back to the Mariners after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Bawcom, 27, was 2-4 with a 4.64 ERA in 45 games, including one start, in Tacoma. He was acquired by Seattle in 2012 from the Dodgers along with outfielder Leon Landry in a midseason trade for Brandon League.
Morban, 23, was a well-regarded prospect before breaking his right leg in 2013 and then dealing with some recurring problems. He hit .206 in 48 games between Jackson and Tacoma last season.