Mariners Outright Ryder Ryan

The Mariners announced this afternoon that right-handed reliever Ryder Ryan has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A. There had been no previous indication that Ryan was on waivers. The move puts him in line to become a minor league free agent.

Ryan was drafted by the Guardians twice, first out of high school in 2014, and again in 2016 after his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina. He signed with Cleveland the second time around and made his professional debut that summer. After a year in the Guardians system, the righty packed his bags for New York, heading to the Mets in return for veteran slugger Jay Bruce. He rose through the ranks with his new organization, reaching Double-A in 2019. 

In 2020, Ryan was traded once again, this time to the Rangers in exchange for Todd Frazier. He spent the next two seasons at Triple-A Round Rock, pitching to a 4.49 ERA in 85 appearances out of the bullpen. After the 2022 campaign, Ryan signed a minor league deal with the Mariners, with whom he finally earned his first taste of major league action. He was selected to the 40-man roster in August, and at 28 years old, he made his big league debut, pitching a single scoreless inning against the Orioles. The righty was optioned shortly after that.

Ryan will be eligible to elect minor league free agency, although it’s certainly possible he’ll return to the Mariners organization in 2024. Under the provisions of his last contract, he opted out of his first deal with the Mariners in June, only to re-sign with the team two days later. Two months after that, it was Seattle that gave him his first chance to pitch in the show.