Emerson, who signed an eight-year deal this March, was sent to Triple-A on Thursday afternoon.
NEW YORK -- Thursday afternoon, after the Seattle Mariners defeated the New York Yankees 1-0 in the final game of a three-game series, starting shortstop Colt Emerson was sent down to Triple-A Tacoma.
The numbers certainly warrant the decision, as Emerson is hitting just .190 in 221 at-bats with eight homers and 23 RBIs. He's hitting just .167 over the last 30 games with one home run, and even more concerning, he's struck out 37 times against just four walks.
He has 19 strikeouts against just one walk since July 25.
But even though the numbers warrant it, I was still surprised at the decision. With the Mariners still (theoretically) in the playoff race and J.P. Crawford still on the injured list, I simply didn't think the Mariners really had the depth to make a move like this.
So, let's look a little deeper,
This move will be good for Emerson
I spoke to Emerson on Thursday before the game, and I certainly don't think he knew this was coming, but if he did, he played it off well. We spoke about his struggles and it's clear he was frustrated after an 0-for-4 day with four strikeouts in Wednesday's loss.
Emerson needs to go back to Triple-A, have some fun, have some success, and re-discover some things. The thing that needs the most development is his approach. He's certainly got the idea to attack the fastball, but he's been late on it, chased it, and fouled it off. As a result, he's constantly behind in the count.
He needs to work on being more selective. That doesn't mean he needs to walk a ton, but it does mean he needs to set himself up for success better than he is right now.
This move might not be good for the Mariners, short term
Long-term, I have no doubt that this move will help both Emerson and the club. But short term? I don't think it really will.
While I think that Leo Rivas will strike out less than Emerson, he doesn't have the offensive upside of Emerson, even in this current state. Rivas is only a career .196 hitter who has no power. Again, I trust that he'll make more contact, but he doesn't have the ability to run into extra-base hits like Emerson does.
And defensively, while Rivas is a solid fielder, he doesn't have the arm, range or exceptional play ability that Emerson has.
The Mariners will play the Houston Astros on Friday at 5:05 p.m. PT. Seattle is five games behind Houston in the American League West.
Of note
The newest edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is out, featuring former Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims! You can listen here, you can watch in the YouTube player below.
