The Mariners are signing reliever Kyle Tyler to a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned. The Nello Gamberdino client hit free agency last summer after being released by the Giants.
Tyler’s name frequented the MLBTR pages last offseason. The right-hander bounced around to a number of teams in rapid succession, essentially serving as the 41st man on a handful of clubs’ rosters. A career-long member of the Angels through the lockout, he lost his 40-man spot with Anaheim during Spring Training. Within a few weeks, he’d go to the Red Sox, Padres, back to the Angels and then back to the Padres via waivers.
While Tyler held a 40-man spot in San Diego into early June, he was again designated for assignment at that point. He finally cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. The Padres re-selected him onto the roster within a few days, then waived him again a couple weeks thereafter. Tyler cleared and became a minor league free agent (as was his right after a second career outright assignment) and signed a non-roster deal with the Giants. He made only four Triple-A appearances in the San Francisco organization before being released.
It was a circuitous route, one Tyler acknowledged at the time wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience. The 26-year-old got into just two MLB games last year, both with San Diego. He spent the majority of the season with the Friars’ top affiliate in El Paso, posting a 4.98 ERA through 21 2/3 innings of relief. He struck out 29% of batters faced with an excellent 58.7% grounder percentage for the Chihuahuas, though he also walked over 20% of opponents.
The free passes were uncharacteristic, as Tyler had never previously walked more than 8.6% of batters faced at a minor league stop. Prospect evaluators had pointed to his above-average control in pegging him as a potential depth starter, though he’s settled into a relief role for the past couple seasons.
Tyler joins Taylor Williams, Casey Sadler, Riley O’Brien and José Rodríguez as righty relievers with MLB experience who’ll serve as non-roster depth options for the Mariners. The M’s have a very deep bullpen that isn’t likely to afford many early opportunities to that group. Tyler will likely start the year at Triple-A Tacoma and try to vie for a midseason job. He still has two option years remaining, so the M’s could shuttle him between Seattle and Tacoma if he secures a 40-man roster spot.
Just another pot boiler.
We’ll see some I guess, but spring training is in view now on 2-1-23 and these routine things won’t matter much if at all. Some new guys may contribute, but the odds are long.
Seattle seems like a tough place for Tyler to get a shot. Seems like other teams have greater need where he might have earned a call-up.
Can’t wait for him to be DFA’d by Seattle, to be picked up by the Angels, until he gets DFA’d and ends up with San Diego, only to return to Seattle by April.
Sounds like you have a lot to look forward to this year.
Dipoto’s daily transaction. You can set your clock to them
Read this as Kyle Tucker and was so confused
Anthony, you accidently referred to the Los Angeles Angels as “Anaheim” in the second paragraph.
Aren’t they still the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? (Longest team name in the MLB). Anaheim is in Orange County vs LA is in LA county. He is correct in referring to the team as Anaheim just like Baltimore is located in Baltimore.
The Twins should change their name to the St. Paul Twins of Minneapolis, lol
No only something in California would be that off…..wait the Cleveland Guardians is almost that bad, but at least the team is named for the actual city they are in….
They dropped “of Anaheim” years ago.
New Jersey Giants, New Jersey Jets, Arlington Cowboys, Santa Clara 49ers, Inglewood Rams, Inglewood Chargers, etc. I could go on, but I think you get the point.