Taylor Motter

Taylor Davis Motter (born September 18, 1989) is an American professional baseball utility player who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, and Minnesota Twins, and for the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League.

Taylor Motter
Motter with the Tampa Bay Rays
Free agent
Utility player
Born: (1989-09-18) September 18, 1989
West Palm Beach, Florida
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Professional debut
MLB: May 16, 2016, for the Tampa Bay Rays
KBO: May 5, 2020, for the Kiwoom Heroes
MLB statistics
(through 2018 Season)
Batting average.191
Home runs10
Runs batted in37
KBO statistics
(through May 29, 2020)
Batting average.114
Home runs1
Runs batted in3
Teams

Career

Amateur

Motter graduated from Palm Beach Gardens Community High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and played college baseball at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. In three seasons with the Chanticleers (2009–2011), he appeared in 187 games (185 starts) and hit .303 with 18 home runs and 110 RBI with a slugging percentage of .482. He helped lead Coastal Carolina to three consecutive Big South Conference baseball championships, three NCAA Regional appearances and one NCAA Super Regional appearance (2010). While only hitting .256 with no home runs and three RBI in 13 Big South Tournament games, Motter, in 13 NCAA Regional/Super Regional games, hit .333 with three home runs and nine RBI while compiling a .622 slugging percentage. In 2010, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[1]

Tampa Bay Rays

He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 17th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft.[2] He made his professional debut with the Princeton Rays and also played in three games with the Bowling Green Hot Rods that year. He spent 2012 with Bowling Green, 2013 with the Gulf Coast Rays and Charlotte Stone Crabs, 2014 with the Montgomery Biscuits and 2015 with the Durham Bulls.[3][4] In 2014, he was the MVP of the Southern League All-Star Game after going 3-3 with a home run.[5] Motter was named the Durham Bulls' 2015 team MVP after ranking first in the International League in doubles (43) and extra-base hits (58), 3rd in total bases (229) and slugging percentage (.471), 4th in hits (142), on-base percentage (.366) and runs scored (74) and 8th in batting average (.292).[6] The Rays added him to their 40-man roster after the 2015 season.[7]

Motter was called up to the major leagues on May 15, 2016.[8] He earned his first major league hit the next day in his first at bat off J. A. Happ of the Toronto Blue Jays.[9] The following game, he hit his first career major league homer off the Jays' Drew Storen.[10] Motter ended his 2016 season with a .188 batting average.

Seattle Mariners

On November 18, 2016, Motter along with Richie Shaffer were traded to the Seattle Mariners for Andrew Kittredge, Dalton Kelly and Dylan Thompson.[11]

Minnesota Twins

On May 28, 2018, Motter was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins. Motter was designated for assignment on July 24, 2018 and released on August 22nd.

Detroit Tigers

On March 6, 2019, Motter signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers. He was released on May 14, 2019.

New Britain Bees

On May 21, 2019, Motter signed with the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Oakland Athletics

On June 25, 2019, Motter's contract was purchased by the Oakland Athletics and he was assigned to the Double-A Midland RockHounds.[12] He became a free agent following the 2019 season.[13]

On November 5, 2019, Motter re-signed with the New Britain Bees. However, following the Bees' move to the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, he was drafted by the Sugar Land Skeeters in the Bees dispersal draft.

Kiwoom Heroes

On December 12, 2019, Motter signed with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League on a $350,000 contract.[14] Motter was placed on waivers by the team on May 29th after being sent down to their farm team earlier in the month.[15]

References
  1. "#14 Taylor Motter - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  2. "Baseball never changes for Motter". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  3. Brooke PryorHerald-Sun (July 31, 2015). "Motter making the best of his time with the Bulls". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  4. "Catching up with former CCU baseball star Taylor Motter". myrtlebeachonline. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  5. "Biscuits' Taylor Motter earns MVP in leading South Division to Southern League All-Star Game win". AL.com. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  6. "2015 Durham Bulls Season in Review – Durham Bulls News". Durham Bulls. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  7. "Rays add Blake Snell, five others to 40-man". Tampa Bay Rays. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  8. http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/for-starters-taylor-motter-joins-rays-against-as/2277456
  9. http://m.rays.mlb.com/news/article/178507138/rays-taylor-motter-records-first-mlb-hit
  10. http://m.rays.mlb.com/news/article/178662578/rays-hand-marcus-stroman-first-defeat-of-2016
  11. http://m.mariners.mlb.com/news/article/209183834/mariners-trade-for-shaffer-motter-pazos/
  12. "Motter Has Contract Purchased". New Britain Bees. June 25, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  13. Matt Eddy (November 7, 2019). "Minor League Free Agents 2019". Baseball America. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  14. "Ex-MLB player Taylor Motter signs with KBO's Kiwoom Heroes". Yonhap News Agency. December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  15. "International Transactions: 5/29/20". MLB Trade Rumors. May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
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