The Mariners recently inked veteran right-hander Heath Hembree to a minor league deal, according to the transactions section of the righty’s MLB.com profile page.
Hembree, 35 last month, is a veteran of 11 major league seasons. After being selected in the fifth round of the 2010 draft by the Giants, Hembree worked his way through the minor leagues to make his debut during the 2013 season. His first cup of coffee in the majors was an impressive one, as the right-hander struck out 12 while allowing four hits and two walks across 7 2/3 scoreless innings for San Francisco that season. Hembree’s time with the big league club in San Francisco was short-lived, however, as he was swapped to the Red Sox in a deal that netted the Giants Jake Peavy the following summer.
In joining the Red Sox, Hembree found his new home for the next seven seasons. During that time, he made 251 appearances with the club, pitching to a 3.70 ERA and 4.32 FIP while striking out 24.2% of batters faced. The strongest stretch of the right-hander’s tenure in Boston came in 2016 and 2017, when Hembree made himself a key member of the club’s late-inning mix with a 3.19 ERA (142 ERA+) and a 3.88 FIP in 100 appearances. Unfortunately, Hembree began to struggle with injuries late in his tenure with the club and missed nearly two months with elbow issues during the 2019 season.
The Red Sox eventually dealt Hembree to the Phillies as part of a larger deal that brought Nick Pivetta to Boston ahead of the trade deadline during the shortened 2020 season. Since then, the right-hander has become something of a journeyman. Over the past four seasons, Hembree has played for seven different clubs while struggling to a 6.55 ERA and 5.84 FIP and managing just 100 1/3 innings in the majors during that time. The most recent big league stop in the veteran’s travels was with the Rays back in April. While in Tampa, the right-hander posted 1 1/3 scoreless innings during his lone major league appearance last year.
After being designated for assignment by the Rays and electing free agency, Hembree caught on with the Tigers last year and enjoyed some brief success at the Triple-A level, where he posted a 3.00 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate. Unfortunately his stay with the organization would last just six innings as Hembree was placed on the injured list for more than a month before he was released by the club in early July.
Now, Hembree is poised to join his ninth big league organization over the past five years. The Mariners feature a strong trio of high-leverage options in the form of Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, and Gregory Santos, though Hembree could get a look in the event of an injury somewhere in the club’s bullpen provided he’s healthy. In the meantime, he figures to provide Seattle with a non-roster depth option who has found success at the major league level in the past and could compete with the likes of Jackson Kowar and Trent Thornton for a role in the big league bullpen this spring.
Oh, Dipoto…
What about him?
A lot of low-level pitching moves lately.
Business as usual, strengthening at the minor league level, but with pitchers who might be useful at the MLB level from time to time.
Depends on how much Hembree has left, and that will become evident as time goes on.
Go Mariners?
Deep RP depth is always good. Injuries and grade pieces also.
Yes, absolutely, Hawktattoo!
Brief success is now 6 innings at AAA, and a month on the IL. Wonderful. Do tell Merriam Webster.
Heath candy is the best!
Hey hombre, Heath bars are indeed good.
Lately I’ve been drinking Seattle’s Best because it’s similar to Starbucks and it’s cheaper.
Better 54% of the time!
If I’m not mistaken, Starbucks actually used to own Seattle’s Best.
I drink instant coffee made with tap water. It does the trick. The function of coffee is to wake you up, not reduce your net worth.
Who doesn’t love a microwaved cup of Sanka and Coffee-Mate in the morning?
Dunkin Donuts black coffee on continuous intravenous drip. Who needs REM sleep??
I think we may have 47 relief pitchers at spring training. Go M’s?!
Maybe one of those 47 pitchers can bat leadoff and play the field? We can only hope.
Ms already have one of the best leadoff hitter in baseball last season. You should remove the trident from your logo because clearly you don’t know this team as much as you think.
I know enough about the team to know the best leadoff hitter on the club should be batting 3rd. I’ll keep the trident, thanks…
I agree with you there! Our bat order was all wrong last season imo. Julio should have been batting 3rd in that line up. Should have Crawford batting in the 1 hole. But what do I know
This guy looks exactly like John Lackey
Hembree eh? I wonder if he’s any relation to this Embree fellow
”I doubt it sir. They both spell and pronounce their last names differently”
They’re breethers in arms.
Jerry said you want depth. I’ll sign every reliever and spin them into gold by the break.
That’s how you build a bullpen.
Harambe forever in our hearts
Hembree does have a fallback option if this signing doesn’t pan out.
He plans to open a saloon
To be called …………………………………………………….
THE HEATH BAR !!
Got a chuckle out of me…good one…lol
That Dipoto must not sleep at night he’s the only one I know who can field a team over night.
Of relief pitchers and middle infielders. None of which can hit a lick. The needs of the roster, have yet to be met with any real improvements. I mean, some of them DO strike out less. I wish they were serious about contending for a WS, but so far it’s been a pipe dream.
#smokeemwhileyagotem
what would you do?
I’d actually have ownership spend a bit more money, increase payroll, regardless of the Root TV uncertainty BS excuse they’ve given everyone, and get decent above replacement players to fill out the roster.
Like who? Name the position player with a good resume of hitting that wants to come to Seattle for less than a billion dollars a year…
It’s easier to carp about a team when you don’t know what is going on behind the scenes.
Well, there was Lourdes Gurriel. He’s a better hitter than Moore or Haggerty.
You would “have ownership” spend more? The FO reports to team ownership and does not dictate budget.
If you’re going to armchair GM, then at least show some understanding of how an MLB team is operated.
Lol
I noticed since you’re the expert here on this thread, you never answered your own question on what YOU would do to improve the team? Being critical is easy, especially when an answer isn’t given. Baseball is an amazing game.
I don’t have any major gripes with what the FO is trying to do, because I’m aware of the constraints that they have to work with. They are doing what they can with what they are given, and leaning on their strong history of drafting and pitching development to win games.
It’s not easy to win now while sustaining growth in the long run. Dipoto’s comments were unfortunate, but his job is to find creative ways to win while also not jeopardizing his own employment.
Armchair GMs on the Internet like to run their mouth, but if given the chance to be in the same situation, they themselves would never criticize their own bosses who they have to report to.
Criticism of anyone, including supervisors, equals growth, for everyone. I actually agree with your thoughts; not running my mouth, and its unfortunate this back and forth seems like it’s rubbed you the wrong way. Have a great day, and value your response!
Have a good day, go Ms!
Feels like Embree has been pitching4 20yrs, always on cusp of trying to make a pitching staff.
Heath ‘Don’t Call Me Keith’ Embree. The man, the legend…