The Seattle Mariners have a pair of new players for their farm system but also lost one Wednesday in the minor league phase of the annual Rule 5 Draft during the winter meetings in Orlando, Fla.

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Seattle selected first baseman Carson Taylor from the Philadelphia Phillies with the No. 20 pick in the minor league phase, then took right-handed pitcher Sean Hermann from the New York Yankees with the No. 38 pick.

The Mariners lost right-handed pitcher Cole Phillips to the Milwaukee Brewers with the No. 25 selection.

Taylor, 26, was a fourth-round MLB Draft pick out of Virginia Tech in 2020 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has played the majority of his minor league games at catcher but has mostly played first base since 2024.

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Taylor was limited to just three games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2025 due to injury. He has played nine career games in Triple-A, hitting 11 for 26 (.423) with a home run and two doubles. In 109 games for Double-A Reading in 2024, Taylor slashed .277/.389/.465 for an .854 OPS with 16 home runs, 16 doubles, five stolen bases on six attempts, and 96 strikeouts to 67 walks.

The 22-year-old Hermann was a 14th round draft pick by the Yankees out of high school in 2021. He made 37 relief appearances for Single-A Tampa in 2025, going 2-1 with a 3.17 ERA, 1.307 WHIP and 45 strikeouts to 33 walks over 59 2/3 innings.

Phillips, 22, was acquired by the Mariners in the trade that sent Jarred Kelenic to the Atlanta Braves in December 2023. A second-round draft pick in 2022 by the Braves out of high school, Phillips has never pitched in a pro game due to two Tommy John surgeries.

A local product was also selected in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft Wednesday: Justin Armbruester from Eastside Catholic and PLU was taken 15th by the New York Mets from the Baltimore Orioles. Armbruester was a 12th-round pick in the 2021 draft by Baltimore.

Full 2026 MLB Rule 5 Draft results

Teams that select players in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft must pay the player’s previous team $24,000 to acquire them, and the players are not subject to roster restrictions with their new teams unlike in the MLB phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

A total of 13 players were selected in the MLB round of the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. The Mariners were one of 18 teams that passed (the White Sox made two selections). Players selected in the MLB Rule 5 Draft must stay on their new team’s 26-man active roster or injured list during the upcoming season or be offered back to their previous team.

For more details explaining the Rule 5 Draft, click here.

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