LAKELAND, Fla. — Man, he had it going for a minute last year. It had to feel like living a dream.
Right-handed reliever Will Vest, claimed by the Seattle Mariners from the Tigers in the 2020 Rule 5 draft, came charging out of the gates last season. In the first 14 games of his big-league career, covering 15.1 innings, he'd allowed just two earned runs. Opponents were hitting a meek .212 against him.
He was the Mariners' Rule-5 version of the Tigers' Akil Baddoo — instant heat.
