Taveras will be making his Seattle debut against Gunnar Hoglund and the Athletics in the series finale. The 26-year-old has occasionally flashed offensive upside, but while he will get playing time against right-handed pitching, his chances of being a fantasy-relevant player seem slim based on his struggles the last year-plus.

The Mets seemed like maybe the best fit for Taveras among contenders, but he didn’t last that long on waivers. The Mariners definitely need the outfield depth with Victor Robles and Luke Raley on the IL. It’ll be quite a change for Taveras, who has never played the outfield corners as a major leaguer. He does have some minor league experience away from center, though. The 26-year-old has hit .240/.291/.370 in 1,825 plate appearances over six big-league seasons. Expect him to start against most righties for now. It’s unlikely that he’ll offer value outside of AL-only leagues. Rhylan Thomas will probably be optioned out once Taveras reports.

The 26-year-old outfielder can continue to play for the Rangers while on waivers. If he’s claimed, the team that claims him would have to assume the remainder of his $4.75 million salary for the 2025 season, which would be roughly $3.9 million. If he goes unclaimed, he would have the option to forfeit his remaining salary and elect free agency, or report to Triple-A Round Rock. Taveras has slashed just .241/.259/.342 in 79 at-bats for the Rangers this season with one home run, eight RBI and six stolen bases.

Taveras is hitting .214 in 28 at-bats, but he’s making them count. The 26-year-old is probably going to play behind Evan Carter for the most part initially this season, though things might work out differently in the long run. While Taveras has never been quite as successful as hoped, he’s still probably one of MLB’s top 30 center fielders.