Mariners roster cuts are coming. Has Rowdy Tellez earned his spot?

PEORIA, Ariz. – Rowdy Tellez is a big personality. Gregarious. Jokes around. Keeps the atmosphere of the clubhouse light. He showed up on his first day in Peoria wearing jean shorts and a neon shirt.

It’s a personality befitting his first name.

“Just always putting a smile on people’s faces, just being goofy,” Tellez said. “I don’t know, I’m just like a big teddy bear, I guess.”

Here’s the thing, though: It’s not his given name. Ryan John Tellez was born in Sacramento, California, 30 years ago – his birthday was Sunday. But he was so active in the womb, his parents gave him the nickname Rowdy.

The nickname stuck. Through his youth. Through the early stages of his baseball life. Through a professional career that started in Toronto and eventually saw Tellez break out during his time in Milwaukee.

Now at age 30, and just like his adopted first name, Tellez is trying to stick again with the Mariners.

“I just thought this was a really special team from watching them, playing against them, seemed like a really good environment. And I think a big thing for me is I wanted to be part of something that they could go all the way,” Tellez said. “So whatever they ask of me, I don’t know what they’re going to ask of me. I don’t know what it’s going to be, but I just want to be the best teammate, best player I can, day in and day out, whether that’s coming off the bench to do whatever I need to do, or playing every day.”

Roster construction is about to be a big topic entering the final week of spring training before the Mariners return north to start the regular season. Is Ryan Bliss the starting second baseman? Will Jorge Polanco play the majority of the games at third base? Is Dylan Moore going to play just one spot or again be the super-utility player for the ballclub? If Moore ends up being a utility player, what does that mean for Dominic Canzone – who has minor-league options left – or Miles Mastrobuoni? Who are the best options for bench players as possible late-game replacements?

“We’re going to have to look to be versatile on a lot of different fronts, whether that’s bullpen, whether that’s position player wise. Those are things that we’re going to continue to look at each guy here this last week,” M’s manager Dan Wilson said Monday. “They’re going to continue to get more opportunities as they lengthen out into the seven, the nine innings of play so they’re going to get longer reps in the game and we’ll just continue to assess.”

Tellez falls into the heart of that conversation on several levels.

He’s a left-handed bat with some pop that could be beneficial for a lineup that primarily consists of right-handed hitters. In 2022 with Milwaukee, Tellez hit a career-high 35 homers, although his power profile may not translate well to T-Mobile Park until the weather warms.

While receiving significantly fewer at-bats against left-handed pitching, his career splits show there is little-to-no drop whether a lefty or a righty is on the mound.

He can play adequately at first base and clearly would be an option as a designated hitter.

But that’s about where Tellez’s versatility ends and how the roster shakes out at other positions could decide whether he makes the club. Also playing into the question of roster construction is the health of Mitch Haniger, who is dealing with a sore shoulder and hasn’t appeared in a spring training game since March 8.

“He’s putting up a good at-bat every time. He’s got the threat of going deep every time,” Wilson said. “I think the thing that’s impressed me the most, probably, is his left-on-left at bats. He’s been using up the middle quite a bit left-on-left and has picked up several hits.”

Tellez signed a contract that will pay him $1.5 million if he’s on the opening day roster. The contract also includes several opt-out dates and the first one is coming up this weekend when Tellez can ask if he’s going to be on the major league roster. If he’s not, he can ask for his release.

Playing for the Pirates last season, he posted a .243/.299/.392 slash line in 131 games, including 18 doubles, 13 homers, 56 RBIs, 31 walks and 89 strikeouts in 421 plate appearances. In the summer months of June, July and August, Tellez posted a .310/.346/.533 slash line with 14 doubles, 11 homers, 42 RBIs, 13 walks and 45 strikeouts in 228 plate appearances.

Some of Tellez’s pop was on display in recent days. He hit one homer and nearly had another on Sunday against the Reds and was on base twice in Monday’s game against the A’s.

“The second half of ’24, that June, July, August, I was exactly who I was. There’s stretches, but the key is putting it together for a whole season,” Tellez said. “Nobody really cares about a nice stretch when your team’s not doing anything. And that was something where I wanted to be able to impact this team in a positive way when I step on the field.”

Tellez didn’t have many relationships with players in the Mariners clubhouse when he arrived. His locker was next to top prospect Cole Young, who Cal Raleigh deemed Tellez’s son. Julio Rodriguez jokingly refers to him as just “Viejo,” – Spanish for old – which Tellez counters by saying, “I’m not really that old.”

“You just want to have fun, man,” Tellez said. “And I think that’s the biggest thing in this game is just trying to fit in where you’re supposed to fit in.”