Mariners Sign Misael Siverio To Minor League Deal

2:52pm: Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs.com reports that Siverio received a $275K bonus and has a split contract that will pay him $508K in the Majors or $120K in the minors (Twitter links). He adds that Siverio isn’t a big guy — he’s listed at 5’9″ — and is a finesse-type arm that works in the upper 80s with a four-pitch mix, the best of which is his curveball.

1:59pm: The Mariners announced that they have signed Cuban left-hander Misael Siverio to a minor league deal. Siverio, who is a client of the Legacy Agency, passed a physical two weeks ago, according to the Mariners, but the deal wasn’t finalized until today. Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald first reported the signing back on November 6. Siverio expressed his excitement about joining the Mariners organization:

“This is a proud moment for me, to be able to join the Seattle Mariners who have several Cubans in the organization that are my compatriots. I feel very happy because of the way that I have been treated here in Seattle and now the only thing left to do is to do my part, work hard and reach the Major Leagues.”

Siverio, 25, showcased in front of 20 teams back in August and had an earlier showcase in June. He posted a 3.24 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 over his career in Cuba’s Serie Nacional – a span of 153 games (75 starts). More recently, he pitched in Mexico this past winter, posting a 2.45 ERA and a 36-to-10 K/BB ratio in 29 1/3 innings. His full statistics and some video footage can be seen at ObstructedView.net.

It’s not clear at which level Siverio will begin his Mariners career, but he’ll add some depth to the organization, and given his age and experience, could be a factor in the not-too-distant future if he pitches well in the minors. While he doesn’t come with the fanfare of Yasmany Tomas, Siverio can hope to follow the career path of Odrisamer Despaigne, who signed a minor league deal with the Padres but moved quickly and ended up making 16 starts in San Diego last year.