PEORIA, Ariz. — First baseman Dae-Ho Lee’s quest to play in the big leagues moved a step closer Sunday morning as the Mariners added him to their 40-man roster.
“Dae-Ho has the history of hitting left-handers,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “I think he’s given us reason to believe in spring training. He’s very prepared. He’s very calm in the batter’s box. I think he’s gotten better every step of the way.
“It’s been a pleasant surprise with the defense and, particularly, the base-running. He runs the bases really smart. His defense has been much better than we anticipated.”
The move effectively buys time for the club because Lee’s minor-league contract had an opt-out clause, effective Sunday, that permitted him to become a free agent if not on the 40-man roster.
But Lee is not guaranteed a spot on the 25-man roster that will open the season on April 4 at Texas.
“That’s to be determined,” Dipoto said. “There is a good chance of that happening. What we’re confirming today is we’re adding him to the 40-man (roster).”
The Mariners now hold three options on Lee, which means they can send him to the minor leagues at their discretion. Even so, that is unlikely to happen.
If Lee fails to make the 25-man roster, it’s likely the Mariners would allow him to pursue other opportunities by releasing him. He rejected far more lucrative offers in Japan and Korea in order to pursue a big-league opportunity.
The move appears to put Jesus Montero’s future with the club in jeopardy.
Montero was battling Lee and Stefen Romero for duty as a right-handed-hitting complement to first baseman Adam Lind, a left-handed hitter. While Romero has an option remaining, Montero does not.
Club officials remained non-committal on Montero, but his locker in the clubhouse was empty, and he did not participate in Sunday’s workout.
Manager Scott Servais said: “He’s spending a day with his family.”
That suggests that Montero is currently on waivers, and the Mariners are waiting to see whether another club claims him. If he clears waivers, he can be sent to the minors, presumably Triple-A Tacoma, on an outright assignment.
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