Mariners Pounce On Grant Knipp And His ‘Unique’ Two-Way Talent
Last fall, Campbell catcher Grant Knipp shocked the scouting world.
He took the mound on a scout day and blew away onlookers with a 98 mph fastball, after having not pitched in almost six years.
The 22-year-old Knipp excelled at the plate as a redshirt junior in 2024, hitting .402/.547/1.029 with 18 home runs in 29 games. A hamstring injury limited his availability.
He also shined on the mound in limited action early in the season.
In four relief appearances, Knipp struck out six and allowed one earned run in 5.2 innings.
Knipp impressed Mariners scouting director Scott Hunter at the MLB Draft Combine. Hunter knew he wanted Knipp badly, so when he was still available in round six, the Mariners pounced on the two-way player.
“When we met with him, we just walked out of there thinking, ‘This is a guy we’ve got to get and will be a fun one to have,’ ” Hunter said. “I mean, this is so unique. What he can do—the presence, the personality, the makeup.”
For now, the Mariners will continue to let Knipp and his impressive fastball and plus power play both ways. He eventually might be destined for first base or DH, but Seattle also wants to see how he handles himself behind the plate.
“Everything’s on the table right now, because we want to see where the pitching takes him, but we don’t want to lose sight of what he does with the bat,” Hunter said.
“And I think first base has been mentioned. DH has been mentioned, (but) the catching is very workable, which is even more exciting if he can do that.”
If the Mariners end up assigning Knipp to an affiliate, it would likely be for a short stint at Low-A Modesto, “just for a taste,” Hunter said.
MARINADE
— The Mariners traded emerging righthander Brody Hopkins, outfielder Aidan Smith and a player to be named to the Rays for outfielder Randy Arozarena.
Smith and Hopkins played for Low-A Modesto. They were Seattle’s fourth- and sixth-round picks last year.
Hopkins had a 1.22 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 83.2 innings in the California League. Smith hit .284/.402/.470 with nine home runs.
— Seattle traded Triple-A outfielder Jonatan Clase and Low-A catcher Jacob Sharp to the Blue Jays for reliever Yimi Garcia. Clase made his MLB debut on April 15 and hit .195 with eight hits and a .453 OPS in 41 big league at-bats.
— Seattle acquired Triple-A outfielder Rhylan Thomas from the Mets on July 26 for big league reliever Ryne Stanek. Stanek, who is a pending free agent owed more than $1 million for the rest of 2024, had pitched his way out of a leverage role in Seattle.
— Double-A Arkansas outfielder RJ Schreck was traded to the Blue Jays for veteran first baseman Justin Turner. Schreck spent most of the season with High-A Everett, where he hit .261 with 12 home runs in 78 games before his promotion to Arkansas.
— The Mariners traded Low-A Modesto righthander Will Schomberg to the Marlins for big league reliever J.T. Chargois. Schomberg had a 2.69 ERA and 97 strikeout in 70.1 innings for Modesto and was recently promoted to High-A Everett, where he struck out 19 in 22 innings.
