The Mariners are expected to sign Tommy Milone to a minor league contract, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). The veteran left-hander will presumably open the year with Triple-A Tacoma.
Milone is a familiar face to Mariners fans, as he spent the 2019 campaign in Seattle. That season, he tossed 111 2/3 innings as a swingman, pitching to a 4.76 ERA. The M’s are one of nine different teams for which the 35-year-old has suited up at the big league level. The USC product has bounced around the league in true journeyman fashion, but he’s continued to earn big league looks along the way. Milone has pitched in the majors in each of the past eleven seasons, although his 14 frames with the Blue Jays last year marked a personal low.
One of the softer throwers in the game, Milone has never been known for his bat-missing prowess. Bizarrely, he did punch out an above-average 26.2% of opposing hitters on a strong 12.4% swinging strike rate last season despite averaging a career-low 84.2 MPH on his fastball. That’s probably little more than a sample size blip, as his 16.4% strikeout percentage in Triple-A more closely aligned with his career track record.
Without overpowering stuff, Milone has gotten by on excellent control. He’s never walked more than 7.1% of batters faced in a given season, and he’s doled out free passes at just a 5.6% clip for his career. (Last year’s league average walk percentage for starters, for reference, checked in at 7.8%). That strike-throwing reliability has made Milone a frequently-used depth option throughout his career. He has started 146 of his 189 MLB appearances, posting a 4.59 cumulative ERA.
The Mariners look likely to open the year with a top four of Robbie Ray, Marco Gonzales, Chris Flexen and Logan Gilbert. Top prospects Matt Brash and George Kirby look the likely options for the final spot, with Brash seemingly having the upper hand by virtue of last season’s late selection onto the 40-man roster. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic wrote yesterday that Seattle brass would prefer to add another starter to that group, but it’s not clear that’s possible at this stage of the offseason. Regardless of whether the M’s make another rotation move in the next week, Milone figures to begin the season in Tacoma and remain on hand in the event injuries necessitate a midseason call-up.
A’s missed out.
That Marco Gonzalez swap is still pretty fascinating.
“The USC product has bounced around the league in true journeyman fashion”
Funny as he’s good friends with The Journeyman!
why isnt anyone mentioning Justus? he’s pitched well enough so far and is on the 40.
I had real high hopes for him too. But after watching several of his starts, I think he benefits the team more as a reliever. He could really good in that role.
They would have been better with Sam “May Day” Malone
I offer my deepest condolences to the entire Pacific Northwest. The people of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia will recover from this one day. Stay strong. You are in our thoughts.
@48, I’m a big fan of extreme sarcasm, keep up the good work
I think every front office at one point has said to each other, well…there’s always Tommy Milone! Guy has a history of outperforming the contracts he signs. He’ll do it again, quietly.
Just an innings eater. There are others though who teams may want to showcase for themselves or others. Grabbing him now infers to me that the team has a HUGE need for pitching
Now Wade LeBlanc needs to sign to keep the cycle of-guys-we-can’t-understand-how-they-keep-ending-up-on-MLB pitching staffs complete
I was thinking the same thing
Cue Vanilla Fudge’s “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” a la Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
My name is Ramone.
A 5.83 ERA since 2016, with teams nevertheless interested in his services, is a reminder to please let your son be born left handed.
Shocked that he’s not an Oakland A
Give it time….
He was pretty serviceable in Baltimore for a very brief period. I’m surprised they never tried to bring him back given the need for innings.