Seattle Mariners: Former Top Prospect Well Worth a Look
By Paul Taylor
The Seattle Mariners have signed Nick Hagadone to a minor-league deal, but what does the former Top-100 prospect have to offer?
We’ve already discussed one reclamation project the Seattle Mariners have decided to undertake, after signing Jean Machi to a minor-league deal. You can read our review of the relief pitcher here.
However, the Mariners haven’t stopped there, as they reach out to pitchers who have previously shown their ability to compete at a high level in the Majors. (Purely out of the goodness of their own hearts of course.)
As reported by SportspressNW, Nick Hagadone has also signed a minor-league deal, as general manager Jerry Dipoto looks to strengthen the bullpen. The signing includes an invitation to spring training.
Local sports fans are probably already familiar with Hagadone, who previously received a scholarship to attend the University of Washington. He is best known for combining with a certain Tim Lincecum in 2006, to complete the Huskies’ first no-hitter in 28 years.
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On a more national level, the 31-year old was rated by Baseball America as the 60th best prospect heading into the 2007 draft. He ended up being selected 55th overall, by the Boston Red Sox.
(Ironically, as noted by SportspressNW, Hagadone was previously drafted by the Mariners in the 36th round of the 2004 draft. However, he did not sign, instead deciding to attend UW.)
The Mariners’ fan base will no doubt be intrigued to see how the 31-year old performs, after sitting out last season. He spent all of 2016 rehabilitating from surgery to repair a fracture in the elbow of his throwing arm.
As reported by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, this was the second such procedure Hagadone had on his elbow. The first surgery took place in July 2015, in order to stabilize the medial epicondyle bone.
In terms of his pitching arsenal, the Sandpoint, Idaho native mostly relies on his fourseam fastball, which averaged around 95 mph before his first procedure. It explodes on the hitter, is blazing fast and has less armside movement than typical.
However, Hagadone also mixes in a 90 mph cutter and 79 mph slider. His cutter is compelling, due to its speed and good rise generating a high number of swings and misses compared to other pitchers.
For his career, Hagadone has pitched five seasons in the Majors, posting a 4.72 ERA over 118.1 innings. His best year came in 2014, when he recorded an impressive 2.70 ERA in 35 appearances and struck out 10.4 batters per nine innings.
Overall, it is clear the former Cleveland Indian has the tools to succeed, but can he perform more consistently? In addition, he still needs to prove his arm is fully recovered.
Next: Jean Machi Should be an Intriguing Addition
What’s your take on the Mariners’ addition of Hagadone? Are you hopeful about what he could potentially bring to the bullpen, or are you not particularly invested? Share your thoughts in the comments section.