Mariners add 2 in Rule 5’s Minor League portion

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Mariners didn’t select anyone in the Major League phase of Thursday’s Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings, though they did lose promising right-handed reliever Kevin Gadea to the Rays.

Seattle did select left-handed reliever Paul Paez from the Mets and center fielder Chuck Taylor from the D-backs in the Minor League portion, while losing outfielder Austin Wilson to St. Louis.

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Paez, 24, combined for a 4-1 record and 3.88 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings with Class A Advanced St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton last season. He was selected by the Mets in the 38th round of the 2013 Draft out of Rio Hondo College in Whittier, Calif.

“Paez is a kid our scouts really liked,” Mariners assistant general manager Jeff Kingston said. “He’s a left-handed pitcher who throws strikes and can really spin a breaking ball. He’s had a lot of success in the Minor Leagues and finished the year in Double-A last year.”

Taylor, 23, hit .261 with a .354 on-base percentage in 83 games for Class A …

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