On Tuesday afternoon, the Seattle Mariners made a small trade, reacquiring infielder from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations, bringing a sense of closure to his journey. Shenton, 26, was originally selected by the Mariners in the fifth round of the 2019 Draft and was once a highly regarded prospect in their system. However, he was traded to Tampa Bay at the 2021 Trade Deadline as part of the deal to bring in reliever Diego Castillo. In a related roster move, reliever JT Chargois was designated for assignment.
Shenton is under consideration for Seattle’s Opening Day roster, though this depends on how the team’s roster shapes up by the end of the offseason. The Mariners are still in the market for multiple infielders, excluding shortstop, with Josh Rojas and Dylan Moore already providing platoon options. Sources indicated that left-handed hitters, like Shenton, are needed for depth.
As it stands, Shenton is likely to be a bench option for the Mariners throughout the season, especially since he still has Minor League options available.
The moves made on Tuesday aligned with Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s long-term vision. In the same 2021 trade that brought Shenton to Seattle, Chargois was sent to Tampa Bay as part of the deal to help fill the void left by the departure of Castillo, a key figure in their bid for an American League East title. At the time, Castillo effectively replaced Kendall Graveman in Seattle’s bullpen after Graveman was traded to Houston in a move that sparked debate among fans.
Tuesday’s actions completed that cycle. Shenton was designated for assignment by the Rays on Monday to create space for two eligible prospects they added to their 40-man roster before Tuesday’s deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft. Seattle did not make similar additions and only had a few eligible players among their Top 30 prospects who needed protection, including right-handers Taylor Dollard (No. 21) and Jimmy Joyce (No. 23), and outfielder Carlos Jimenez (No. 28).
The Rule 5 Draft will take place on December 11 at the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas.
Shenton initially made the Rays’ Opening Day roster and debuted in the majors after several Spring Training injuries to key left-handed hitters, but he only played sparingly. Over 50 plate appearances in 19 games, he posted a .214/.340/.405 slash line. He excelled at Triple-A, hitting .276/.391/.541 over 144 games from 2023-24.
A Spokane, Wash. native, Shenton played for Bellingham High School and then Florida International University before the Mariners selected him in 2019. He was ranked as Seattle’s No. 19 prospect entering the 2021 season.
Chargois, who had a similar return to Seattle after being traded from the Marlins at last season’s Trade Deadline, made 21 appearances for the Mariners, posting a 2.75 ERA in 19 2/3 innings. He earned $1.285 million in 2024 and was expected to make a similar or higher amount in his final year of arbitration, which likely influenced the decision to part ways with him.
The Mariners, along with the other MLB teams, must decide by Friday at 5 p.m. PT whether to tender contracts to their remaining arbitration-eligible players.
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