We saw #HugWatch hit the Mariners Twittersphere on Sunday night. A hashtag normally reserved for instances involving players potentially being moved in outbound trades was instead used for something else when fans noticed Cal Raleigh was pulled early from the Modesto Nuts’ matchup vs. Inland Empire.
The switch-hitting catcher, on a tear like few we’ve seen from Mariners prospects in recent years, had indeed been told to call it a night and go pack his things—not because he’d been traded, but because he’d earned a promotion to Double-A Arkansas and would be making the trek from Modesto to North Little Rock the next day.