On June 20, the Seattle Mariners made a reasonable move by designating first baseman Rowdy Tellez for assignment in order to activate Luke Raley from the injured list.
On the surface, the choice was understandable. Tellez posted a .208/.249/.434 slash line over 47 games with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs. However, his overall output was riddled with issues — he struck out in 26.5% of his plate appearances, walked just 4.3% of the time, and posted a -0.6 WAR, highlighting his one-dimensional contribution centered solely on power.
Still, what seemed like a logical baseball decision could soon come back to haunt Seattle.
After his release, Tellez was picked up by the Texas Rangers, a divisional rival. He’s currently playing for their Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock, but there’s a plausible path back to the majors if he starts hitting well. And if that happens — especially with added motivation — the Mariners may find themselves on the wrong end of a revenge narrative.
Tellez has already made one former team pay. During his stint in Seattle, he torched the Toronto Blue Jays — the team that originally drafted him — crushing four home runs and producing a staggering 1.219 OPS in just six games. Altogether, he’s recorded six homers and 16 RBIs in 13 career games against Toronto.
While he hasn’t found similar success against Seattle — batting .206 with just one homer and seven RBIs in 10 games — context matters. If he returns to the majors, the chance to face his former club with something to prove could light a fire under him.
For the Mariners, the concern isn’t what Tellez was during his time in Seattle, but rather what he might become for a division rival. Texas boasts a dangerous offense when healthy, and if Tellez gets hot, even in a part-time or bench role, he could become a weapon.
Of course, this could all be irrelevant if he remains stuck in Triple-A or fails to earn a promotion. But if he makes his way back to the AL West, Seattle may come to view June 20 as the day they unknowingly sparked a divisional problem they didn’t anticipate.