The Mariners have signed left-handers Jhonathan Diaz and Kirby Snead to minor league contracts, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Both pitchers come from AL West rivals who had outrighted them at the end of last season.
Diaz had spent the past few years with the Angels. The 27-year-old got to the majors every season from 2021-23 but hasn’t tallied more than four appearances in any year. He pitched seven innings over four games last September, allowing 11 runs (eight earned) with seven walks and four strikeouts.
A swing option, Diaz started eight of 38 appearances with Triple-A Salt Lake. He logged 87 innings of 4.55 ERA ball for the Bees. Diaz kept the ball on the ground at a solid 48% clip but had middling strikeout (21.5%) and walk (11.1%) numbers. He’ll likely open next season with the M’s top affiliate in Tacoma as multi-inning depth.
Snead, 29, is a more traditional lefty specialist. Originally a Blue Jays draftee, he made a brief MLB debut with Toronto in 2021. The Jays included him as the fourth piece in the Matt Chapman deal with the A’s the following offseason. Snead pitched 44 2/3 innings for Oakland in 2022, allowing a 5.84 ERA.
A shoulder strain cost him the first three months of the 2023 season. Upon his return, he got into 15 MLB games. Snead allowed seven runs (six earned) across 11 2/3 frames. He fanned nine and issued six walks. The Florida product had a tough run in a very hitter-friendly Triple-A setting. Pitching for the A’s top affiliate in Las Vegas, he was tagged for a 7.59 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. He walked over 14% of opposing hitters.
Snead’s results the past two years haven’t been encouraging, but he managed a 1.58 ERA in 40 Triple-A innings back in 2021. He held left-handed batters to a .141/.222/.203 showing in 73 plate appearances that season. The M’s will see if a change in environment can help him recapture something closer to that ’21 form.
Way to steal the Cubs thunder!
Snead’s Feed and Seed (formerly Chuck’s)
Dodgers having Urias criminal charges deferred until 2050
Meanwhile Trevor Bauer is paying now for criminal charges to be named later.
Some team should sign Urias, Bauer, German and Aroldis Chapman just so we can all witness the media outrage.
Arte Moreno, make it happen!
And Jimmy Cordero.
LordD, obviously the A’s need to. They can rid themselves of all their remaining Oakland fans.
1st, by signing them, they will drive away fans for not respecting women.
2nd, they cut them all and apologize, driving away fans for being ‘woke’.
As well as Anthony Bass.
But what about Chuck? Where’s his deal?
Formerly Kirby Chuck.
Really PATHETIC that this site it’s AGAINST FREE SPEECH! Why do you all close comments on certain posts? (Urias)
And THEN don’t even report on an innocent MLB player that was wrongly accused? (Bauer)
No free speech anywhere. Welcome to our wonderful future!
Really PATHETIC that that people still use the “AGAINST FREE SPEECH” spiel on a privately owned site. Perhaps a quick perusal of the U.S. Constitution would clear it up.
They close the comments because of history. They tried leaving the comments open but some people, make that many people, could not control themselves and it always turned into a bloodbath. The writers would try to moderate the conversation but when they would remove offensive cooments people would scream about violating their right to free speech (without realizing that no such thing occured.)
Stop the ranting, idiots.
This is a baseball blog, specifically a Mariners thread, so how about some baseball?
For starters, it is interesting how the Mariners are continually tinkering with the low-end pitching staff at a time when people are howling for them to bring on one more big bat.
That, to me, is the big question..
I read it as the Mariners being right where they want to be, just like some of us commenters have been saying.
To me, there is only one way to answer that. Play ball!
Right on, Fred. If nothing else, it looks to me as if they’re not going to make any flashy free agent signing for the bullpen, and instead they’re going to bring in about a dozen guys on the cheap to compete with Speier, Thornton, and Berroa for the last few spots, while going with Munoz, Brash, Topa and Saucedo in the later innings. Also, I’m guessing they’re looking at DeSclafani as a reliever rather than as a starter. Out of 20 or more guys competing (including those who are returning), they’ll find a group of seven who can do a good job. Even without a big signing, I’m not too worried about the bullpen. I’d still like to see them add more hitting.
Yes, Slothcliff Hokum. I see it just like that.
I think the M’s are caught between what they need, and what they have. This mixture is the definition of wait, and see what we do, the other intangible is Jerry’s itchy finger trigger it will drive him CRAZY. so were back with unpredictability. I’m glade if I cleared this up for anyone.