The Mariners announced a series of roster moves today, including the news that right-hander Bryan Shaw has been designated for assignment and left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. is going to the 10-day injured list due to an elbow impingement. Replacing the two hurlers are southpaw Taylor Guilbeau and righty Ljay Newsome, with Newsome making his first appearance on a Major League roster after his contract was selected.
Shaw signed a big league contract with Seattle just prior to their season opener, and he has an ugly 18.00 ERA over six innings pitched. He was briefly sent down to the Mariners’ alternate training site last week but Shaw had another rough outing last night, giving up two earned runs over 1 2/3 innings.
Given these results, it’s fair to wonder if the M’s could potentially release Shaw if he isn’t claimed off waivers. There wouldn’t be much of a cost associated with a release, as the Mariners are only paying Shaw a prorated league minimum salary. The Rockies are paying the rest of the prorated $9MM salary Shaw was guaranteed this season, as Colorado released the veteran reliever in mid-July.
Cortes has also begun his season in disastrous fashion, allowing runs in all five of his appearances en route to a 15.26 ERA over 7 2/3 innings. The lowlight came last night, as Cortes had to make an emergency start after Yusei Kikuchi was a late scratch, and Cortes proceeded to allow seven earned runs in just one-third of an inning against the Astros. The 25-year-old has yet to break out at the big league level, having posted a 5.80 ERA over 71 1/3 IP with the Orioles and Yankees in 2018-19. Seattle acquired him in a trade with New York last November.
Newsome, 23, was a 26th-round pick for the Mariners in the 2015 draft, and is ranked by MLB.com as the 29th-best prospect in Seattle’s farm system. Newsome has started 91 of his 99 career games in the minors, with a 4.11 ERA, 8.5 K/9, and a very impressive 7.63 K/BB rate over 499 2/3 innings — with only a 1.1 BB/9, Newsome has displayed excellent control.
Is Ljay Newsome’s name pronounced “El-Jay” like the letters L and J or is it like “Luhjay”?
El-Jay is the pronunciation. These guys, even if not great, at least are rookies you can get some feel for. Correa is horrid and Shaw is so bad I can’t even find the right adjective.
Thanks for asking, as a M’s fan I was too afraid to ask
Send him to Philly…
As usual,with the Mariners,after a pitcher has a terrible outing,he is immediately put on the DL with a mysterious injury.They spend most the season cycling guys on and off the DL,trying to find a servicable pitcher that sucks the least.I’m sure Guilbeau and Newsome will be stricken with an “injury”if they pitch like crap,too.
Shaw actually lowered his ERA last night;hard to believe that he hasn’t been released yet.
As usual?
Except for the pitchers who have performed the worst? Altavilla, Swanson, Grotz, and Misiewicz weren’t on the IL. Shaw was the worst and he wasn’t on the IL before the recent DFA.
Shmuck- You obviously missed Friday’s thrashing at HOU, it’s a good thing you did, because Nestor Cortes threw 41 pitches while giving up 7R on 1 out in 1/3 of inning. He had back to back 4 pitch walks to end his disastrous outing. There is no mystery to this transaction- 41 pitches, 7R after 1 out in the 1st? Frankly, IMO he’s lucky he didn’t suffer a season ending injury.
Incidentally, Cortes was able to get his 1 batter George Springer to pop-up only to lose that out to Catchers interference. The momentum shifts in MLB can be so cruel, if Cortes faces Reddick with one out instead of none I’m convinced the outcome of that game would be entirely different. He probably wouldn’t have injured his arm after throwing 41 pitches. Oh, and Shaw? The only mystery there is why he was bought in the 1st place.
Shaw is way past his sell by date.
Call up Logan Gilbert!!!
If they were going to call up Gilbert they would have done so by now.
We’ll probably see Gikbert and Kelenic in late April or May.
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again…
Watching Bryan Shaw is like watching Bobby Ayala V 2.0. It was a little risk (=$$$) high reward (= dominant relief out of pen) that didn’t pay off. He’s never been in the long term equation. Cut your losses now and make room for someone who can work out his arm and be part of the solution not the problem.