Mariners Moose Tracks, 5/5/23: Matt Mervis, Corey Seager, and Cody Bellinger

Greetings everyone and happy Friday! Here’s what is happening around the world of baseball.

In Mariners news...

• Jonatan Clase has been named the Northwest League Player of the Month for a torrid April in Everett. Clase was supposed to play his first game as an Arkansas Traveler yesterday, but due to the rainout he is expected to make his Double-A debut tonight.

Around the league...

• The Cubs are promoting first base prospect Matt Mervis, finally satisfying the fans who have been clamoring for him to be called up.
• The Rangers provided some updates on key players: Corey Seager could be back in action next week when Texas plays the Mariners, while Jacob deGrom is expected to embark on a throwing program soon.
• An umpire forced Rays starter Zach Eflin to remove his wedding ring during his start.
• Michael Baumann at Fangraphs checks in on the A’s major offseason trade, which will hinge on the success of utilityman Esteury Ruiz.
• Jay Jaffe at Fangraphs takes a look at what is going right for outfielder Cody Bellinger this year in Chicago.
• Former Mariner Roenis Elías has signed on with Korea’s SSG Landers.
• The MLB prospect team chooses a potential future closer for each team.
• The Cleveland Guardians are 2010 Mariners level bad at hitting for power!

• Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays continue breaking records.

• The White Sox continue to find embarrassing ways to lose baseball games (the Twins won this game 7-3).

• Grant Brisbee at The Athletic wonders just how crazy Major League Baseball will get when it comes to rule changes to the sport. ($)
• Kevin Baxter at the Los Angeles Times tells the story of the baseball academy the Dodgers have set up in Uganda, which they hope will provide them with a competitive advantage.
• In college baseball news, the Alabama baseball team has parted ways with head coach Brad Bohannon amidst a betting scandal.
• I know we hate the Astros, but this is pretty neat.