The Seattle Mariners will promote outfielder Lazaro Montes, reports Francys Romero. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times confirmed the promotion, which will happen when rosters expand to 28 players on September 1.
Montes, 21, is one of the top sluggers in the minor leagues. This season, he slashed .247/.365/.556 with 38 home runs and a 137 wRC+ between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma. Only the Milwaukee Brewers‘ Andrew Fischer has more home runs in all the minor leagues, with 42.
He currently ranks as the Mariners’ No. 5 prospect and No. 56 prospect on MLB Pipeline at the time of his promotion.
With the Mariners fading hard out of the postseason race after getting swept by the Toronto Blue Jays, the focus will shift toward their 2027 roster. They’ve already promoted top prospect Kade Anderson, so the youth movement has started.
Seattle will travel to Fenway Park to take on the Boston Red Sox. Montes will sit out the series opener, although he may travel with the team since the minor leagues are off on Mondays.
What the Lazaro Montes Promotion Means for the Mariners
For the Mariners, it’s a chance to give one of their top position player prospects a trial run before the season ends. Left fielder Randy Arozarena is expected to reach free agency and is likely priced out of Seattle’s budget.
It’s unclear where the left-handed-hitting Lazaro Montes will fit in the lineup. Seattle is fielding an outfield of Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez, and Taylor Ward. Dominic Canzone is also their primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching.
The corresponding roster move could say a lot, on both the active and 40-man roster. It’s possible Seattle punts on its season and decides to put Ward on waivers for a team to claim before the month ends.
Arozarena will not be put on waivers because he’s a qualifying offer candidate. The Mariners would be awarded a first-round pick in next year’s draft if he declines and signs a $50 million contract elsewhere.
His looming 40-man roster decision also played a role in this move. Montes would have been Rule 5 eligible this offseason, and he would have been an easy call to add to the roster. By promoting him now, the Mariners are speeding up that decision by 10 weeks.
If Montes plays well down the stretch, it could change the organization’s 2027 plans for him. He could slide into Arozarena’s spot in the outfield or as the designated hitter as early as next season. But if he struggles, he may open next year back with Tacoma.
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