SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners are closing in on a minor-league deal with veteran catcher Steve Lerud, which would effectively fill the hole created by a recent injury to Jesus Sucre. An agreement with Lerud would include an invitation to big-league camp.
Lerud, 31, is a journeyman minor-league player who has just 15 big-league at-bats, in 2012-13 with Philadelphia, over a 12-year pro career.
The Mariners accelerated their search for a veteran catcher after Sucre suffered a broken fibula and severely sprained ankle in his right leg on Jan. 17 while playing winter ball in Venezuela.
Sucre recently underwent surgery and is expected to miss six months.
Lerud has spent time in six organizations and batted .238 last season with two homers and 23 RBI in 60 games for Triple-A Syracuse in the Washington organization. He has a .224 career average in 867 minor-league games.
Ishikawa deal fizzles
A potential minor-league deal with first baseman Travis Ishikawa, which once appeared close, now seems unlikely. A club official said Ishikawa, a former Federal Way standout, is expected to pursue other opportunities.
The breakdown might be due, in part, to the Mariners’ recent agreement with free-agent first baseman Gaby Sanchez, who spent last season in Japan after spending seven seasons in the big leagues.
Sanchez is expected to battle Jesus Montero as a right-handed complement to starter Adam Lind, a left-handed hitter.
Prospect rankings
Two recent top-100 prospect rankings underscored the Mariners’ need to overhaul their farm system.
Outfielder Alex Jackson was the organization’s only player cited by Baseball Prospectus or MLB.com among the game’s top 100 prospects in pre-spring rankings.
Jackson, 20, placed No. 94 on both the MLB.com Top 100 list and Baseball Prospectus’ Top 101 ranking despite a disappointing first full pro season when he was demoted from Lo-A Clinton to Short-A Everett.
“Jackson has the offensive upside to be an impact middle-of-the-order hitter,” MLB.com reported, “though the gap between his present ability and overall potential might be greater than initially expected.”
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