Mariners Sign First Baseman/Outfielder Travis Ishikawa
By Ben Renner
The Mariners signed former Giant Travis Ishikawa to a minor league deal. What could he offer the 2016 Mariners if he makes the team?
Jerry Dipoto signed first baseman Travis Ishikawa to a minor league deal over the weekend, supposedly to add yet another buy-low depth piece to the organization. Ishikawa became famous for his walk-off, series-clinching home run for the Giants in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Cardinals in 2014, but has shown little power in his major league career.
In eight seasons, Ishikawa has scattered 23 home runs, 17 of them for the Giants. After spending a decade at various levels in the Giants’ player development system, he has bounced around. His famous home run was during a short return to San Francisco.
Ishikawa played in 92 games for the Milwaukie Brewers in 2012 and hasn’t spent the entire season with one team since.
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At worst, he’s a replacement-level first baseman and pinch hitter who will either play in Tacoma all year or be released at some point in the 2016 season. At best, he could be a defensive replacement at first base for the Mariners next year. According to Baseball Reference, Ishikawa was 32 fielding runs above average in only 12 games at first base for the Pirates in 2015. He could also be a fill-in option in the outfield.
Jerry Dipoto is filling in the roster with players with something to prove. Ishikawa is a native of Federal Way and is looking for yet another chance to prove he can play at a Major League level. Perhaps a homecoming back to the Northwest is just what he needs to kickstart his sputtering career. Ishikawa, after delivering the Giants to their third World Series berth in five seasons, injured his back in Spring Training last season, an injury that plagued him the entire year. “By the time I was healthy and ready to go, there didn’t seem to be a spot for me anywhere,” he told MLB.com reporter Chris Haft this week.
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It still remains a longshot for Ishikawa to have a large impact for the Mariners in 2016, but he could still contribute to a team short on first basemen after Adam Lind. Who knows? Maybe he’ll send the M’s to a World Series with another walk-off.