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Mariners Select Casey Lawrence, Designate Austin Shenton For Assignment

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The Mariners announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Casey Lawrence. Left-hander Jhonathan Díaz was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot for Lawrence, infielder Austin Shenton has been designated for assignment. Brady Farkas of Refuse to Lose was among those to relay last night that Lawrence was likely to be called up today.

Lawrence, 37, has been on and off the Mariners’ roster all year long. He signed a minor league deal with Seattle in the offseason and this is the fourth time they have selected him to the roster. In the first two instances, he was quickly designated for assignment after an appearance or two. He elected free agency after clearing waivers and returned to the club on a fresh minor league deal. His third DFA resulted in him being claimed by the Blue Jays. That club gave him similar treatment, putting him into one game before sending him into DFA limbo. Lawrence again elected free agency and returned to the M’s on a fresh minor league deal, leading to today’s selection.

Around all those transactions, he has 12 2/3 innings in five appearances. He has a 4.97 earned run average, 8.3% strikeout rate, 1.7% walk rate and 45.3% ground ball rate. He now has a 6.59 career ERA in 136 2/3 innings, spread over five different seasons.

The Mariners recently put Bryce Miller on the 15-day injured list, joining George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. That leaves them with a four-man rotation core of Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock and Logan Evans. When Miller hit the IL about a week ago, Díaz was recalled to give the club a fresh arm capable of covering multiple innings, but he hasn’t been used since. His last outing was a minor league game on May 9th, 11 days ago.

Lawrence last pitched on the farm May 15th. That was only for two innings, but it seems the Mariners felt better about him on regular rest as opposed to Díaz after such a long layoff. Casey Legumina is listed as tonight’s starter but he will probably serve as an opener, as he’s mostly been a one-inning guy this year. After that, the M’s will see what they get from Lawrence as part of a bullpen game.

To get Lawrence onto the big league roster, the M’s are risking losing Shenton. The 27-year-old infielder was acquired from the Rays in a November cash deal. He’s out to a slow start this year. He has stepped to the plate 169 times at the Triple-A level. He has eight home runs but has been punched out at a 29% clip. He has a .207/.284/.413 line and 76 wRC+ on the year.

That rough performance has nudged him off the 40-man and into DFA limbo, which can last for as long as a week. However, the waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Mariners will have a maximum of five days to explore trade interest.

It’s possible that some other club looks beyond the rough 2025 numbers to see potential. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Shenton took 940 minor league plate appearances. His 28.1% strikeout rate in those was certainly high but he also drew walks at a huge 15.1% clip and hit 49 home runs. He produced a combined slash line of .286/.399/.549 in that time, leading to a 149 wRC+.

For his minor league career, Shenton has mostly played the infield corners, with some brief looks at second base and in the outfield corners as well. He has less than a year of service time and is still optionable for the rest of this year and one additional season. Put it all together and it’s possible some club will be enticed to acquire him as a depth piece.

Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images

Kolten Wong Announces Retirement

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Veteran infielder Kolten Wong announced his retirement from professional baseball earlier today at his alma mater, University of Hawaii, as relayed by Brian McInnis of Spectrum News. Wong was in town to throw out the first pitch at a game against UC San Diego.

“Pretty much right now, I’m done,” Wong said, as relayed by McInnis. “I’ve kind of come to the conclusion that I’m probably going to be hanging them up. It’s just one of those things where, the game how it’s going now, there’s no sense of chasing (it). … I’m a dad now, yes, I’m enjoying that. I’m trying to be the best big league dad that I can be. So I’m going to stick to that.”

A veteran of 11 MLB seasons, the 34-year-old Wong was drafted 22nd overall by the Cardinals back in 2011. He made his way to the majors for a brief cup of coffee just two years later, but his big league career began in earnest during the 2014 season. That year, Wong appeared in 113 games for the Cardinals and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Jacob deGrom and Billy Hamilton after slashing .249/.292/.388 in 433 trips to the plate while playing second base exclusively for St. Louis. Wong would go on as a roughly average regular with the Cards for a few years, getting a brief look in the outfield during the 2016 season to accommodate occasional reps at the position for Matt Carpenter and Jedd Gyorko but otherwise remaining locked in as the club’s everyday second baseman thanks to nearly average offense (92 wRC+) and fantastic defense at the keystone.

Wong enjoyed something of a breakout during his age-26 season with the Cardinals in 2017, as he slashed .285/.376/.412 with a 108 wRC+. It was his best offensive season to that point in his career, and while injuries limited him to just 108 games that year he would turn in above average results overall at the plate from the start of that season onward. That was a fortuitous step forward for the Cardinals, seeing as it came in just the second year of a five-year, $25.5MM extension the sides agreed to prior to the 2016 season. Wong hit a combined .273/.356/.398 (104 wRC+) while playing stellar defense over the course of his final four years in St. Louis, even earning Gold Glove awards for his work at second base during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

Aside from that solid regular season production, Wong departed St. Louis with a solid postseason resume, having slashed .206/.243/.464 with five homers, four stolen bases, eight doubles, and a triple in 104 postseason plate appearances for the Cards. The Cardinals ultimately declined Wong’s 2021 club option and allowed him to test free agency in order to create an everyday spot in the lineup for utility man Tommy Edman. Wong eventually signed with the Brewers on a two-year, $18MM guarantee that came with a club option for the 2023 season. Wong’s defensive numbers took a step back during his time in Milwaukee as he entered his age-30 season, but his offense was better than ever as he hit a strong .262/.337/.439 (113 wRC+) across his two campaigns with the club.

Unlike the Cardinals before them, the Brewers did pick up his third year club option. With that being said, he still found himself in another uniform prior to the 2023 campaign as he was traded to the Mariners in a deal that brought Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro to Milwaukee. It’s a deal that didn’t work out for anyone, as none of those players were particularly effective for their new clubs. Wong struggled mightily during his time in Seattle, hitting just .165/.241/.227 across 67 games before he was released in early August.

Wong signed with the Dodgers on a minor league deal shortly thereafter, however, and managed to end his big league career on a high note as he slashed an impressive .300/.353/.500 (129 wRC+) over 20 games in Los Angeles before participating in the NLDS with the club. Headed into 2024, Wong signed briefly with both the Orioles and the Diamondbacks on minor league deals. He hit .271/.339/.383 in 121 trips to the plate for Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate in Reno before being granted his release just under a year ago. He’s not played in affiliated ball since, and after going unsigned this offseason Wong has evidently decided to put his playing career behind him.

In all, Wong wraps his MLB career with a .256/.330/.390 career slash line, good for a roughly league average 97 wRC+. That triple slash comes across 1189 games and encapsulates a career that saw him collect 973 hits, 303 extra-base hits, 511 runs scored and 405 runs batted in. In addition to his aforementioned two Gold Glove awards and status as a Rookie of the Year finalist, Wong also received down-ballot consideration for the NL MVP award during the 2019 season. MLB Trade Rumors congratulates Wong on a fine career, and wishes him all the best in whatever comes next.

The Mariners Need To Shake Up Their Offense

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Mariners fans entered the season with something of a sour outlook on the 2025 season. That's understandable, given an offseason in which the front office was clearly handcuffed by payroll limitations and a paper-thin trade market for big league hitters. Armed with a only a reported $15-16MM to patch over multiple needs in the infield, there wasn't a lot out there for president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander to realistically pursue.

Seattle wound up rolling the dice on a handful of cost-effective infield options. Jorge Polanco returned on a one-year deal with a conditional player option. Donovan Solano snagged a $3.5MM guarantee. Rowdy Tellez signed a minor league deal and made the team after a big spring showing (.298/.320/.574 in 50 plate appearances).

Frustration was understandable. The Mariners had made a big splash at the prior deadline, reeling in Randy Arozarena from the Rays, but fans hoping for a similarly bold strike in the offseason after another narrow playoff miss were left wanting.

That frustration likely faded for many as the Mariners raced out to a blistering start. On May 7, they sat with a 22-14 record, leading the American League West by a three-game margin and sporting a +31 run differential. One might imagine that the Mariners were again being carried by their brilliant rotation, but that wasn't the case -- at least not entirely. George Kirby has still yet to throw a pitch in 2025 as he recovers from some shoulder inflammation. Logan Gilbert hit the injured list on April 25 and remains there. Bryan Woo has been brilliant. Luis Castillo has been good. Gilbert was his typically excellent self prior to his flexor injury. But the Mariners' starting pitching, as a whole, has been a middle-of-the-pack unit.

Instead, Seattle's hot start was largely attributable to a surprisingly potent offense. Through that previously mentioned May 7 date, M's hitters were slashing .247/.340/.415, resulting in a 122 wRC+ that ranked third in the majors. They were fourth in home runs, seventh in runs scored, 12th in batting average, second in on-base percentage and ninth in slugging percentage.

In the week-plus since that time, the Mariners have lost five of six games and posted a collective .206/.259/.326 batting line (70 wRC+). Typically, there's little sense panicking over a week of poor results, but there was already reason to be a bit skeptical of Seattle's sudden offensive prowess. Good as Cal Raleigh is, he's not going to continue at a 50-homer pace. Polanco isn't going to keep his OPS north of 1.000. J.P. Crawford isn't sustaining a .410 OBP, nor will Leo Rivas keep hitting .341. Those timely early-season hot streaks buoyed the Seattle offense but can't all be sustained.

The Mariners seemingly recognize that some new blood is needed; they claimed Leody Taveras off waivers from the division-rival Rangers and took on about $3.7MM in salary to do so. That was an understandable move with both Victor Robles and Luke Raley on the injured list for the foreseeable future, but it shouldn't be the only one the Mariners consider.

Let's run through a few easy ways to bolster a lineup that is facing even more pressure than usual now that Bryce Miller has joined rotation-mates Kirby and Gilbert on the injured list...

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Mariners Place Bryce Miller On IL With Elbow Inflammation

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1:00pm: Miller spoke to reporters, with video relayed by Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. He revealed that he had a cortisone shot and said that an MRI showed no structural damage. He’s hoping to return after a minimal IL stint.

11:50am: The Mariners announced today that right-hander Bryce Miller has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 12th, due to right elbow inflammation. Left-hander Jhonathan Díaz has been recalled to take his place on the roster.

The club hasn’t yet provided any updates on the severity of Miller’s injury or how long they expect him to be out, but it’s always worrisome when a pitcher’s throwing elbow is injured. His most recent start was against the Blue Jays on Sunday, which did not go well, as he allowed seven earned runs in five innings.

Afterwards, he spoke of some physical issues he’s been battling this season but without getting too specific, alluding to some arm soreness and back tightness. “In the past, it felt like I could get through six innings, it’s a breeze,” Miller said, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. “I’d feel as good as I do in the sixth as I did in the first. And it’s been a struggle to have that feeling so far. So I don’t know. We’re going to work on it.” Though he didn’t provide many details, Miller continued: “I’ve had multiple things that kind of have lingered since, really, the end of last season, and I kind of took them through the offseason. I thought that I’d be feeling good, and I haven’t felt like myself, body-wise and physically. I think that’s led to being more on my heels mentally, and it just kind of snowballed.”

Miller’s velocity is down a bit compared to last year. He averaged 95.2 miles per hour on his fastball in 2024 and was in that range for much of the early parts of the season as well. So far this year, he’s down to 94.4 mph. Most of his other pitches are down a tick or two as well.

As Miller alluded to, getting deeper into games has been an issue. He hasn’t yet gone six frames in a start this year. His first two outings were his only two going more than five innings. Last year, he went seven innings seven times and six or above an additional 13 times.

The righty is currently sporting a 5.22 earned run average on the year, a big jump from last year’s 2.94 ERA. His 20.1% strikeout rate is a few points below last year’s 24.3% mark, while his walk rate has almost doubled from 6.4% to 12.1%.

Perhaps the physical issues provide a partial explanation for the declining results, but it’s still an unpleasant development for the M’s, who are already dealing with a depleted rotation. George Kirby has been on the IL all season so far due to shoulder inflammation. Logan Gilbert followed him to the IL in late April, suffering from a flexor strain in his pitching elbow.

The Mariners were hoping to start the season with an elite rotation consisting of Miller, Kirby, Gilbert, Bryan Woo and Luis Castillo. That was such a talented group that trade rumors swirled around them all winter. The Seattle front office downplayed the possibility of a trade and is surely glad that they resisted the temptation to flip pitching for more offense, as they are now without three of their projected starting five.

Kirby has been on a rehab assignment and is expected to make one more appearance in the minors before rejoining the major league club next week. Gilbert is perhaps a bit behind Kirby, though he did throw a bullpen yesterday, per Kramer.

For the time being, the Mariners will proceed with a rotation consisting of Castillo, Woo, Logan Evans and Emerson Hancock. Castillo is starting today’s game and then the club is off tomorrow. Díaz can perhaps make a spot start or serve as a long reliever out of the bullpen. That might be a short stay with Kirby due back soon, but both Evans and Hancock currently have ERAs at 6.60 or above, so perhaps one of them could get bumped out instead.

Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images

AL West Notes: Trout, Wesneski, Kirby, Gilbert

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When Angels superstar Mike Trout first went on the injured list just over a week ago due to a bone bruise in his left knee, Trout expressed optimism that he would be able to return after a minimum stay. He’s eligible to be activated on Sunday, but that ultimately will not come to pass. Trout told reporters (including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com) that while he’s resumed swinging a bat with no issues, he has yet to begin running.

The good news is, that could change fairly soon. Trout indicated that he’ll be traveling with the Angels to San Diego for their upcoming series against the Padres this week, and there’s “a good chance” that he’ll start running on that road trip. Trout added that the pain he was feeling in his knee that led to the IL stint has now dissipated, and the veteran is encouraged enough by the progress that a return in the somewhat near future seems to be on the table, though an exact timeline won’t be able to be established until Trout resumes running.

Obviously, the face of the Angels franchise returning to the field will be a key factor in whatever hopes the club may have of clawing its way back into the AL playoff picture. A strong start to the 2025 campaign for the Halos has largely been snuffed out at this point, as they own a lackluster 15-22 record and are currently sitting in fifth place in the AL West. Even side from the odds of playoff baseball in Anaheim, however, Trout’s return to action would be reason for celebration for fans all around the game. A slam-dunk Hall of Famer who was on track to become one of the greatest players in history just a few years ago, Trout has appeared in just 295 games since the start of the 2021 season and will be looking to have his first mostly-healthy campaign since 2022 once he returns from the injured list.

More from around the AL West…

  • Astros right-hander Hayden Wesneski went on the injured list yesterday due to discomfort in his right elbow. It’s an ominous diagnosis that resulted in the righty being sent for imaging, but manager Joe Espada told reporters (including The Athletic’s Chandler Rome) this afternoon that while Wesneski’s MRI showed inflammation in his elbow, the club felt that they “couldn’t get a good read of what’s going on.” Espada added that the club’s plan is now to give Wesneski a few more days of rest in hopes that the inflammation will calm down before trying to reassess the situation and decide on next steps. It’s an update that offers little clarity on Wesneski’s path forward, much less a timetable for his return. The right-hander pitched to middling results in six starts for Houston this year after being acquired from the Cubs as part of the Kyle Tucker trade, with a 4.50 ERA in 32 innings of work.
  • The Mariners are without co-aces George Kirby and Logan Gilbert at the moment. Kirby has yet to pitch this year after beginning the season on the shelf due to shoulder inflammation, while tightness in Gilbert’s forearm shut him down near the end of last month. Seattle GM Justin Hollander told reporters (including Daniel Kramer of MLB.com) yesterday that Kirby would make one more rehab start after today’s outing with Triple-A Tacoma. That would put him in line to be activated at some point during the club’s upcoming road trip, perhaps either against the White Sox or the Astros. Gilbert, meanwhile, is further from a return given that he’s still just playing catch. Hollander did suggest, however, that the righty could resume throwing off the mound in the coming days. Emerson Hancock and Logan Evans are filling in for Kirby and Gilbert in the club’s rotation in the meantime.

Mariners, Casey Lawrence Agree To Minor League Deal (Again)

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Right-hander Casey Lawrence is back with the Mariners — again. The two sides have agreed to yet another minor league pact, per the Mariners’ transaction log at MLB.com. Lawrence is represented by Big League Management.

If and when the 37-year-old veteran makes his way back to the major league roster, it’ll be his fourth stint with Seattle in 2025 alone. It’s been a wild year for Lawrence, who re-signed with the Mariners as a minor league free agent over the winter. This is the third season in which he’s logged big league time with the M’s, though his prior stints haven’t involved such frequent rides on the DFA carousel.

Lawrence was claimed by the Blue Jays on the heels of his most recent Mariners DFA, also marking the third season in which he’s suited up for Toronto. The Jays designated him after one long relief outing (2 2/3 innings, three runs allowed). He elected free agency after passing through waivers and is now back in the Pacific Northwest.

Across his three stints with Seattle this season, Lawrence has pitched 10 innings and allowed four earned runs (3.60 ERA) on 14 hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Coupled with his lone appearance in Toronto, Lawrence has a 4.97 ERA on the season. He’s fanned just 8.3% of the hitters he’s faced but also has just a 1.7% walk rate. He’s also made a pair of starts with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, totaling 10 1/3 innings and holding opponents to five runs on 13 hits with an 8-to-3 K/BB ratio (18.2 K%, 6.8 BB%).

Lawrence spent the entire 2024 season in the rotation for the Mariners’ Tacoma affiliate as well, so despite the frequent DFAs — four times already in a six-week-old season — there’s probably some stability with regard to his living situation. It may seem inconvenient to the player or even callous on the surface, but Lawrence seems comfortable with an arrangement that effectively renders him the 41st man on Seattle’s 40-man roster. Teams and players are typically up-front with one another in situations like this one; it’s not as though Lawrence is being blindsided by the frequent removal from the roster. The Mariners will likely continue to shuttle him on and off the 40-man roster when they need length in the bullpen or a spot start.

Orioles Acquire Luis F. Castillo From Mariners

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The Mariners announced that they’ve traded righty Luis F. Castillo to Baltimore for cash. Seattle had designated him for assignment yesterday as the corresponding move for the Leody Taveras waiver claim. Baltimore optioned Castillo to Triple-A Norfolk and designated lefty Walter Pennington for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot.

Castillo, the now-former teammate of the Seattle All-Star starter of the same name, has five major league appearances under his belt. He signed a minor league deal over the offseason and was selected onto the big league roster in early April. Castillo took a pair of turns through the rotation. He surrendered seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits and seven walks across seven innings. He struck out five.

Those were Castillo’s first two major league starts. His previous big league experience consisted of a trio of relief outings for the Tigers in 2022. Castillo spent the next two seasons in Japan. He didn’t miss many bats but managed a 2.96 ERA over 94 1/3 innings for the Orix Buffaloes a year ago. The 30-year-old has made four starts for Seattle’s top farm team in Tacoma. He has managed a 12:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio while surrendering eight runs through 14 1/3 frames.

Castillo sits in the 91-92 MPH range with both his four-seam fastball and sinker. There’s not much swing-and-miss upside but he has a full slate of minor league options. He’ll join Brandon Young and Chayce McDermott as depth starters who are on optional assignment to Norfolk.

Pennington, 27, heads back into DFA limbo for the second time in as many weeks. He was designated for assignment and released by the Rangers at the end of April. Baltimore grabbed him off release waivers. He made one appearance apiece at High-A Aberdeen and with Norfolk. Pennington hasn’t been able to find the strike zone, walking six of 10 batters faced while allowing seven runs (five earned) in one combined inning.

Initially drafted by the Royals, Pennington was traded to Texas last summer in the Michael Lorenzen deadline deal. He’s only a season removed from posting a 2.13 ERA with a 32.2% strikeout rate over 63 1/3 Triple-A innings. Pennington had been pitching at the Rangers’ complex before they moved on, and his pair of appearances with Baltimore affiliates were clearly alarming. He’ll likely wind up back on waivers in the next few days. If he goes unclaimed, he would not have the requisite service time to decline an outright assignment.

Mariners Claim Leody Taveras

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May 7: The M’s announced today that Taveras has reported to the team with Thomas optioned to Triple-A as the corresponding move.

May 6: The Mariners have claimed outfielder Leody Taveras from the Rangers, according to announcements from both clubs. The Rangers recalled outfielder Evan Carter to take his spot on the roster, a move that was previously reported. Right-hander Luis F. Castillo, not to be confused with Luis Castillo, has been designated for assignment by the M’s to open a 40-man spot for the claim. An active roster spot will need to be opened whenever Taveras reports to the M’s.

Taveras, 26, will join a new organization for the first time. The Rangers signed him as an international amateur back in 2015, giving him a notable bonus of $2.1MM. He went on to become the club’s top prospect and one of the top 100 in the league for a few years. As a major leaguer, he has been useful but not quite a star. His speed and defense have allowed him to make notable contributions for the Rangers, though his offense has been less consistent.

When he first arrived in the majors, he struck out quite a bit, but he was still in his early 20s at that time. In 2023, he managed to get the punchouts down to a manageable 21.1% rate. He still didn’t walk much, just a 6.3% rate, but he put the ball over the fence 14 times. That all led to a .266/.312/.421 line and a 100 wRC+, indicating he was exactly league average at the plate.

Given his other talents, average offense was quite acceptable. He also stole 14 bases and got strong marks for his outfield defense. FanGraphs considered him to be worth 2.4 wins above replacement on the year as he helped the Rangers charge to their first ever championship.

He fell of a bit last year. His walk rate actually jumped to 7.9% and his strikeout rate essentially held steady, bumping ever so slightly to 21.2%. His home run total also didn’t change much, dropping to 12, but with 25 fewer plate appearances. His batting average on balls in play dropped to .272, after being at .318 the year before. He finished the 2024 season with a .229/.289/.352 line and 82 wRC+. Still, with his 23 steals and his glovework, he produced 1.1 fWAR.

Here in 2025, his offense has dropped further. Through 82 plate appearances, he has a 2.4% walk rate, 28% strikeout rate, .241/.259/.342 line and 68 wRC+. That’s been part of a larger constellation of struggles in Texas, as guys like Marcus Semien and Joc Pederson are also struggling badly. Jake Burger’s slump was steep enough to get optioned to the minors while Taveras was placed on waivers. The club also fired offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker and hired Bret Boone as a hitting coach in an attempt to kickstart the offense.

For the Mariners, it’s a buy-low move, with some echoes of their Víctor Robles pickup. Robles was also a notable prospect with the Nationals who had struggled to click in the majors. The M’s sntached him up last year after the Nats released him. Robles then performed well with Seattle, enough that they signed him to a small extension last year, just a couple of months after bringing him aboard.

Robles has unfortunately been sidelined by a dislocated left shoulder and is probably still a couple of months away from returning. Luke Raley replaced him in right field but he recently hit the IL himself due to an oblique strain. Recently, they’ve been playing guys like Rhylan Thomas and Miles Mastrobuoni out there, which is less than ideal. Thomas has just ten major league plate appearances so far and hasn’t done much with them. Mastrobuoni is a light-hitting utility guy. Dylan Moore was reinstated from the injured list today but he could be needed on the infield, with Ben Williamson producing subpar offense from third base in his first 70 big league plate appearances.

Presumably, Taveras will be in the mix to help out in right. He has only ever played center field in his major league career, though the M’s have Julio Rodríguez there every day. Taveras has played the corners in the minors and most center fielders can move to left or right without issue. Some platoon matchups in the lineup are possible. Taveras is a switch-hitter with better numbers as a lefty. Williamson and Moore are both right-handed, so perhaps they can take third and right field when tough lefties are on the mound.

Though the Mariners are “buying low” in the sense that Taveras has been performing poorly of late and was readily available on the wire, there is a notable cost here. Taveras qualified for arbitration ahead of the 2024 season as a Super Two guy and earned $2.55MM last year. In January, he and the Rangers avoided arbitration for this year, agreeing to a $4.75MM salary. That leaves about $3.7MM left to be paid out, which the M’s are taking on by making this claim.

That’s a fairly small amount in the baseball world, where many guys are making eight-figure salaries annually, but it’s not nothing for the Mariners. They reportedly had about $15MM to spend this winter. They ended up giving out less than that, bringing back Jorge Polanco and signing Donovan Solano for a combined $11.25MM. Perhaps not coincidentally, adding Taveras and his remaining salary leads to a sum pretty close to $15MM.

Maybe that will give the club a bit less wiggle room to add at the deadline or perhaps ownership will greenlight further spending if they keep playing well. Time will tell on that. But if the bet on Taveras pays off in Robles-like fashion, there could be benefits beyond this season. He is still controllable via arbitration for another two years after this one. He will have to perform better over the rest of the season in order to be tendered a contract but that’s exactly what the Mariners are hoping for.

If Taveras is able to get back on track, the Rangers might end up kicking themselves, especially since there’s a chance he’ll be thriving with a division rival for the next few years. But there’s no guarantee of that happening and they’re probably happy about the cost savings in the short term. It was reported in the winter that Texas wanted to get under the tax line in 2025 and that plan was confirmed by owner Ray Davis. They came into the season a few million under the line, according to public estimates, though with a clear chance of going over. They have a number of players with sizable contract bonuses and those would bump up the club’s tax number if triggered, something that MLBTR did a deep dive on last month.

With the M’s claiming Taveras and the rest of this year’s salary, that drops the Rangers further away from the $241MM base threshold of the tax. As of a few weeks ago, RosterResource and Cot’s Baseball Contracts had the Rangers’ CBT number at $236.4MM and $237.8MM respectively but those estimates are now listed at $234.1MM and $235.5MM.

Castillo, 30, was added to the roster in April. George Kirby started the season on the injured list and Emerson Hancock got lit up in his first start of the year. Castillo made a couple of spot starts before being optioned to the minors. Hancock has since come back up to retake a rotation spot with better results. Logan Gilbert is now on the IL as well, prompting a Logan Evans promotion, but Kirby is on a rehab assignment and should be able to rejoin the club soon.

The M’s are evidently willing to sacrifice a bit of rotation depth, so Castillo goes into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so any trade possibilities would have to be explored in the next five days. Castillo’s MLB track record is pretty small but he’s been decent in the minors and in Japan. From 2022 to 2025, he has a 2.44 ERA, 22.6% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate in 59 minor league innings. He also pitched 143 1/3 NPB innings over 2023 and 2024 with a 3.01 ERA. Since he’s still optionable, he may have appeal for clubs looking to add some Triple-A rotation depth.

Photo courtesy of Robert Edwards, Imagn Images

Mariners Reinstate Matt Brash From Injured List

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The Mariners announced that right-hander Matt Brash has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. He underwent UCL surgery last year and will be making his first major league appearance since the 2023 season whenever he gets into a game. Right-hander Troy Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma as the corresponding move.

It’s a little bit of an early birthday present for Brash, who will turn 27 on May 12th. Prior to his recent absence, he was in the process of establishing himself as a potent bullpen weapon for the Mariners. Coming into 2022, the M’s were still using him as a starter. He made his major league debut with five starts early that year but posted a 7.65 earned run average. They optioned him down to the minors and started converting him to relief.

Since then, the results have been excellent. He was recalled in July and tossed 30 2/3 innings out of the bullpen the rest of the way. In that time, he had a 2.35 ERA, 33.9% strikeout rate and 12.6% walk rate. He added 3 1/3 scoreless innings in the postseason. In 2023, his first full season as a reliever, he logged 70 2/3 innings with a 3.06 ERA, 34.7% strikeout rate and much-improved 9.4% walk rate.

Since getting called up in July of 2022, he has a 2.84 ERA over 101 1/3 innings with a 34.5% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate. He became a part of the club’s high-leverage group, earning four saves and 33 holds in that time.

Unfortunately, that’s been on pause for over a year. He experienced some arm troubles early in 2024 and eventually went under the knife in May. Now that he’s back, it’ll be a nice boost for the Seattle bullpen. Jackson Kowar is still recovering from his own UCL surgery. Gregory Santos recently underwent knee surgery and was quickly transferred to the 60-day IL, meaning he won’t be coming back anytime soon.

The club’s relievers have a collective 3.69 ERA this year, which puts them just outside the top ten. However, their 18.9% strikeout rate is actually 28th in the league, ahead of just the Cardinals and Marlins. Assuming Brash gets back to his previous strikeout ways, he’ll give them a nice bump in that department. Andrés Muñoz is the Seattle closer but Brash should jump in and take one of the prime setup roles.

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images

Mariners Outright Sauryn Lao

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Mariners right-hander Sauryn Lao went unclaimed on outright waivers after his recent DFA, the team announced. He’s been assigned outright to Triple-A Tacoma. Lao has neither three years of MLB service nor a prior outright assignment, so he does not have the ability to elect free agency. He’ll remain with the M’s as a depth arm.

Lao, 25, is a former Dodgers infield prospect who converted to the mound in 2023. He’s posted a 3.61 ERA in 122 minor league innings since making that switch, including a 2.25 earned run average in 12 innings with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma this year. He’s punched out 26.6% of his opponents with the Rainiers and limited walks to a 6.5% clip. Lao made one big league appearance — his MLB debut — with Seattle prior to his DFA, during which he pitched 1 2/3 innings with no earned runs and three strikeouts.

The Seattle bullpen has been solid, with a 3.70 earned run average, but not quite as effective as many predicted heading into the season. Andres Munoz, Collin Snider, Carlos Vargas, Gabe Speier and Casey Lawrence have all provided quality results, but the M’s have received shakier performances from Eduard Bazardo, Trent Thornton, Tayler Saucedo and the now-injured Gregory Santos. They’ll get a huge arm back soon if Matt Brash can finish off his minor league rehab stint without issue, but there’s enough uncertainty in Seattle’s middle relief group that Lao could work his way back to the big leagues with continued production in Tacoma.

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