Mariners Rumors

Mariners Re-Sign Hisashi Iwakuma

By Steve Adams | December 18, 2015 at 1:51pm CDT

TODAY, 1:50pm: Iwakuma ended up taking quite a hit on his guaranteed money, it appears. Per Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), the veteran will receive only a $12MM guarantee. That includes a $1MM signing bonus, $10MM salary for 2016, and a $1MM buyout on the vesting/club options that follow.

The options are priced at $10MM apiece, but they can vest at higher levels. If Iwakuma reaches 162 innings, his 2017 option would be guaranteed at $14MM. If he can tally 162 frames in the following season, or 324 total over 2016-17, then he’d earn $15MM.

There are some other important benefits in the contract. Iwakuma gets a full no-trade clause, Heyman adds (Twitter links). And he can earn up to $2.5MM annually via incentives for innings pitched ($500K at 150 innings and every ten frames thereafter, with 190 innings to maximize the clause).

1:13pm: The guarantee is likely near to the value of the qualifying offer ($15.8MM), Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Iwakuma can earn nearly all of the $45MM he would have been promised by the Dodgers through the vesting clauses, Rosenthal adds.

YESTERDAY: The Mariners have re-signed right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma to a one-year contract with vesting options for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, according to a club announcement. General manager Jerry Dipoto initially broke the news to the rest of his staff at the front office holiday party (video link, on Twitter), but the club kept the news under wraps until a formal announcement could be drafted.

Clearly, this is a drastic shift in Iwakuma’s market. The 34-year-old (35 in April) Wasserman Media Group client was said to have agreed to a three-year, $45MM pact with the Dodgers, but reported concerns over the veteran’s physical caused the Dodgers to attempt to re-work the contract. J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group tweeted recently that the Dodgers’ offer of a guaranteed third year is what pushed the Dodgers to the front of the line in the Iwakuma sweepstakes, so it would seem that with that third season no longer on the table, Iwakuma’s preference was to return to Seattle on a contract that will allow him to reach that third year if he is able to remain healthy over the course of the next two seasons (although exactly what type of innings-pitched or starts-made marks will trigger the additional years on the contract remains an unknown).

“Obviously, the developments from the last few days allowed us to get back in the game,” said Dipoto in the press release announcing the move. “It’s a credit to our ownership; to Howard Lincoln, to Kevin Mather, to our entire ownership group that we were able to get aggressive and find a way to bring Kuma back to the Mariners. We’re all thrilled. This is a big move for us. We feel like this really puts a finishing touch on what we think has been a very productive off-season.”

Iwakuma will slot into the rotation behind ace Felix Hernandez. His return gives the Mariners a surplus in the rotation, as the club still has newcomers Wade Miley and Nate Karns in addition to returning high-upside youngsters Taijuan Walker and James Paxton. While there are plenty of health-related question marks among that group — Walker and Paxton both have notable injury histories at a young age — it’s an imposing group, on paper, and should make for a formidable rotation when healthy, regardless of which arms round out the mix. (I’d imagine that Miley is a given for the rotation, leaving Karns, Walker and Paxton to compete for the final two spots.)

A lat injury cost Iwakuma more than two months of his 2015 campaign and limited him to 129 2/3 innings. A torn tendon in his right middle finger limited him to 179 innings a year prior. The nature of the concerns that derailed his contract with the Dodgers aren’t known, but the Mariners were comfortable enough to guarantee him a 2016 contract, and the Dodgers themselves were said to be attempting to re-work the deal, which should suggest that there’s no dire injury at play.

Over the course of 653 2/3 Major League innings, the Japanese righty has posted a 3.17 ERA with 7.6 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and a 50.1 percent ground-ball rate. Considering the fact that the additions of Leonys Martin and Nori Aoki should only enhance the Mariners’ outfield defense, there’s reason to believe that Iwakuma could improve upon his 2014-15 performance, so long as his health permits him to do so.

On the Dodgers’ end of the equation, the loss of Iwakuma marks a disappointing outcome for a club that has seen Zack Greinke sign with the division-rival Diamondbacks and also had a trade for Aroldis Chapman fall through due to previously unreported domestic violence allegations. While there’s still plenty of time for president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and his staff to plot new courses of action, one has to assume that this is nonetheless a discouraging outcome. As it stands right now, the Dodgers have little certainty in their rotation beyond Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood, as Brett Anderson has a significant injury history of his own while Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-jin Ryu missed most and all of the 2015 season due to injuries, respectively.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mariners Again Pursuing Hisashi Iwakuma

By Steve Adams | December 17, 2015 at 11:30pm CDT

Now that his three-year deal with the Dodgers is in jeopardy due to issues with his physical, Hisashi Iwakuma is back on the market, and Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM reports that the Mariners have resumed their pursuit of Iwakuma (Twitter link).

Iwakuma, of course, has spent his entire Major League career with the Mariners, who earlier this winter were said to consider him their “top priority.” As J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group tweets, the Dodgers “surged” past the Mariners in the Iwakuma bidding after they were willing to guarantee a third year on his contract (pending a physical). If the Dodgers’ third year is off the table, then, it would make sense that the Mariners could potentially re-enter the picture. However, at this time, we don’t know whether the Dodgers have pulled the third year entirely or are simply hoping for a reduced annual rate given the reported medical concerns.

Iwakuma, who will pitch next season at 35 years of age, posted a 3.54 ERA with 7.7 K/9, 1.5 BB/9 and a 50.4 percent ground-ball rate in 129 2/3 innings with Seattle last season, though a lat injury kept him on the shelf for more than two months and limited his innings total. That marked the second straight season in which he was limited by injuries, as his 2014 campaign was truncated by a torn tendon in his right middle finger.

The specific issue with Iwakuma’s physical remains unknown, but that the Dodgers are reportedly still trying to come to an agreement and the Mariners are now back in the mix suggests that there’s nothing dire in his medical results. However, without knowing the nature of the red flags, it’s nearly impossible to gauge what sort of reduction will need to be made from the previously reported three-year, $45MM price tag that the Dodgers had place on Iwakuma.

Mariners Claim A.J. Schugel, Designate Tyler Olson

By Steve Adams | December 16, 2015 at 1:33pm CDT

The Mariners announced that they’ve claimed right-hander A.J. Schugel off waivers from the D-backs and designated lefty Tyler Olson for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

The 26-year-old Schugel was designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for Zack Greinke. The former Angels farmhand who went to the D-backs in the first Mark Trumbo trade, yielded five earned runs (13 total runs) in just nine innings of work in his 2015 MLB debut. This claim reunites him with GM Jerry Dipoto, who knows him well from his days as general manager in Anaheim. Schugel posted a 4.84 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 115 1/3 innings of work for the D-backs’ Triple-A affiliate in Reno this past season. While it’s a notoriously hitter-friendly environment, those results were nonetheless discouraging after a solid 2014 season at the Double-A level.

Olson, like Schugel, is 26 years old and made his Major League debut in 2015. Olson tallied 13 1/3 innings out of the Mariners’ bullpen but surrendered eight runs on 18 hits and 10 walks, although a staggering seven of those 10 walks were intentional in nature. In 54 1/3 Triple-A innings, Olson managed a more palatable 4.47 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. However, after holding lefties to a .206/.280/.279 batting line in 2014, the Gonzaga product yielded a .253/.340/.448 slash to lefties between the Majors and minors in 2015.

Rangers Claim Andy Wilkins From Mariners

By Steve Adams | December 14, 2015 at 2:58pm CDT

The Rangers announced today that they’ve claimed first baseman Andy Wilkins off waivers from the Mariners. Wilkins was designated for assignment last week when the club acquired Adam Lind from the Brewers.

Wilkins, 27, has bounced around the league quite a bit since making his big league debut with the White Sox in 2014. The former fifth-rounder hit just .140/.178/.186 in a minuscule sample of 45 plate appearances with the South Siders in ’14. This season, he was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays, who would eventually trade him to the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations. The Dodgers lost Wilkins to the Orioles on waivers in early September, who then lost him to Seattle in November. With this claim by the Rangers, he’s now with his fifth organization in the past calendar year.

Wilkins hits left-handed, so he doesn’t fit the Rangers’ oft-stated desire to add a right-handed bat. He does create some depth at first base, however, with his lifetime .274/.324/.490 batting line at Triple-A serving as an appealing track record for Texas (and, clearly, other clubs around the league). The Rangers’ 40-man roster now has 38 players, per a club press release.

Steve Cishek On Signing With Mariners

By Zachary Links | December 14, 2015 at 2:20pm CDT

On Monday afternoon, the Mariners formally announced that they have reached agreement with reliever Steve Cishek on a two-year deal. The pact, reportedly worth $10MM combined between 2016 and 2017, will help replenish a bullpen that has lost former temporary closers Tom Wilhelmsen, Carson Smith, and Danny Farquhar. On a conference call with reporters just minutes ago, GM Jerry Dipoto confirmed that Cishek will be the Mariners’ closer in 2016. For Cishek, that was pivotal as he shopped the open market. I asked the veteran if he had other offers to pitch in the ninth inning.

“There were a couple other teams [with significant interest], but not too many closing opportunities out there. For me, Seattle was the No. 1 place I wanted to go when I heard that they wanted me to be their closer,” Cishek said.

Until today, Cishek spent his entire career in the National League, but he has gotten to play at Safeco Field in the past. His previous time spent in Seattle also played into his interest in signing with the M’s.

“When I was here, I loved the city and the stadium. It was gorgeous. I was able to confirm all of that again when I did the physical here a couple of days ago,” Cishek said. “When my agent called me, he said that there are a couple of offers are on the table, but one in particular is really interesting. He said the Mariners are looking for a closer and I said, ’Tell me more! Tell me more!’ I wanted to return to the back end of the bullpen and that’s something that I didn’t get to do too much in St. Louis because their bullpen was amazing.”

The addition of Cishek might not mark the end of the Mariners’ bullpen revamp, Dipoto says, but the signing will probably be the end of the team’s “heavy lifting” when it comes to relievers. Dipoto fully expects Cishek and Charlie Furbush to hold down the back end of the bullpen and that’s cause for excitement from Cishek’s perspective.

Photo courtesy of Seattle Mariners Baseball Information department.

Mariners Designate Rob Rasmussen For Assignment

By Steve Adams | December 14, 2015 at 12:37pm CDT

The Mariners announced today that left-hander Rob Rasmussen has been designated for assignment. Rasmussen’s removal from the club’s 40-man roster creates space for right-hander Steve Cishek, whose two-year contract is now official.

The 26-year-old Rasmussen logged 15 1/3 innings in the Majors this season, and while he struck out an impressive 17 hitters in that time, he also walked eight men and yielded an alarming 17 earned runs as well. That marked his second stint in the Majors, although the first — four runs in 11 1/3 innings with the 2014 Blue Jays — was considerably more palatable.

Rasmussen was one of three pitchers that the Mariners acquired from the Blue Jays in exchange for Mark Lowe prior to the 2015 trade deadline. If his name sounds familiar, it’s due to the fact that Rasmussen, despite being just 26 years old and having 26 2/3 innings of Major League experience, has been traded an incredible five times. Originally a second-round pick by the Marlins in 2010, he’s been part of the return in trades for Carlos Lee and Michael Young (in addition to John Ely and Brad Lincoln).

In addition to his Major League work, Rasmussen has totaled 140 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level, where he has pitched to a collective 4.04 ERA with a 121-to-69 K/BB ratio. It should be noted that Ramussen’s work as a reliever at the Triple-A level has been wildly superior to his work as a starter. He posted a 6.46 ERA working primarily out of the rotation in 2013 (12 games, 10 starts) but has turned in ERA marks below 2.75 while working as a reliever in his past two stops at Triple-A.

Mariners Sign Steve Cishek

By | December 14, 2015 at 12:28pm CDT

The Mariners’ bullpen overhaul continued on Monday, as the team announced, via press release, that it has signed free-agent reliever Steve Cishek to a two-year deal. Cishek, who will serve as the club’s closer, is reportedly guaranteed $10MM over the two years — $4MM in 2016 and $6MM in 2017. He can also earn up to $3.5MM in each season for games finished.

Cishek, a client of Jet Sports Management, will reportedly earn $250K for 25 and 30 games finished, and he’ll take home $500K for reaching 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 games finished in each year of the deal. Typically, only about five relievers per season finish 60 games, so it will be a stretch for Cishek to earn the full $7MM incentive over two years. Cishek finished 62 games in 2013 and 55 games in 2014.

GM Jerry Dipoto teased the addition on 710 ESPN Seattle a night before the agreement was reported, saying he expected to make a bullpen addition before the end of the weekend. In today’s press release, Dipoto spoke highly of his new right-hander: “Steve gives us a proven bullpen presence with significant experience closing games. He’s a character guy who adds a new angle and fresh look to our pen.”

Cishek, 29, was non-tendered by the Cardinals earlier in the offseason. MLBTR projected a $7.1MM salary via the arbitration process. Of note, Cishek was arbitration eligible for two more seasons. The two-year contract will guarantee those seasons while granting the Mariners some protection if he doesn’t stick in the ninth inning.

Over parts of six seasons, the former Marlins closer has a 2.82 ERA, 9.55 K/9, 3.42 BB/9 and 95 saves in 313 innings. He experienced a shaky 2015 split between Miami and St. Louis. While with the Marlins, he lost his ninth inning duties early in the year to A.J. Ramos. In 32 innings, Cishek struggled with a 4.50 ERA, 7.88 K/9, 3.94 BB/9, and an uncharacteristically high .350 BABIP. He also posted a career low 90.6 mph fastball.

The Cardinals acquired Cishek in late July for right-handed pitcher Kyle Barraclough. While his 2.31 ERA through 23 innings was encouraging, he lost control of the strike zone (5.01 BB/9). ERA estimators like SIERA (4.43) and xFIP (4.55) suggest he experienced some good fortune in St. Louis.

With the signing, Seattle is betting that Cishek can recover the form that made him one of the best closers in the league from 2013 through 2014. Over those two seasons, Cishek was among the 10 best relievers in baseball with 3.5 WAR and a 2.35 FIP.

Dipoto has been busy this offseason. As ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick notes (tweet), Dipoto has now completed nine trades, eight signings, and five waiver claims. The bullpen in particular has undergone a dramatic restructuring. Former temporary closers Tom Wilhelmsen, Carson Smith, and Danny Farquhar were all sent packing. To replace them, Dipoto acquired Cishek, Joaquin Benoit, Evan Scribner, and Justin De Fratus.

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick first reported the agreement. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link) and FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported the financial terms (via Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported the incentives structure (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brewers Scouring Market For First Basemen

By | December 12, 2015 at 9:17pm CDT

The Brewers are taking a wide-angled approach to finding a first baseman, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. Among the potential fits are Pedro Alvarez, Ike Davis, Steve Pearce, Chris Carter, and Daniel Nava. One notable name missing from the report is veteran Justin Morneau, although he may still be under consideration.

Milwaukee traded first baseman Adam Lind to the Mariners last week for three minor league pitchers. Lind, a 32-year-old left-handed platoon bat, had just one year of club control remaining. Since he didn’t fit into the club’s long term plans, he was deemed expendable. While some of the names listed above represent a definite downgrade to Lind, the Brewers may be best served by targeting a player they can trade at the deadline.

Alvarez, Carter, and Morneau strike me as the most likely to return value down the road. Miller Park is a home run friendly stadium which should benefit all three sluggers. Alvarez and Carter generally post hefty home run totals combined with a poor batting average. Morneau is a different sort of hitter with high averages and moderate power. Whereas both Alvarez and Carter are entering their age 29 seasons, Morneau will turn 35 next May and has battled serious injuries in recent years.

Nothing is preventing the club from signing two players from this list. In particular, Pearce makes sense as a platoon option for Alvarez. The former Oriole offers some defensive versatility. He has experience in the outfield and even managed to play a decent second base in a tiny sample last season. Similarly, Nava, a switch-hitter, could provide some depth in the outfield while platooning with Carter. Nava has been much better against right-handed pitching throughout his career.

Mariners, Ed Lucas Agree To Minors Deal

By | December 12, 2015 at 12:58pm CDT

The Mariners have agreed to terms with utilityman Ed Lucas on a minor league deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Lucas, 34 in May, spent the 2015 season with the Rangers Triple-A affiliate. He posted a robust .316/.389/.420 line over 442 plate appearances.

Lucas is capable of manning all four infield positions, and he even has some experience in the outfield. Rosenthal views Lucas as a possible platoon candidate with first baseman Adam Lind, although I see that as a stretch. Lucas’ best attribute is defensive versatility.

In 573 major league plate appearances, he’s just a .243/.294/.330 hitter. He does have a .330/.360/.469 line against left-handed pitching, but that’s in only 179 plate appearances. It’s also buoyed by a .374 BABIP.

Lucas joins Luis Sardinas and Chris Taylor as potential utility infielders for the Mariners. Both Sardinas and Taylor seemingly have the inside track for a major league role due to youth and a place on the 40-man roster. As such, Lucas is likely to serve as depth at the Triple-A level.

Mariners Acquire Ryne Harper To Complete Jose Ramirez Trade

By | December 12, 2015 at 11:12am CDT

The Mariners have announced the acquisition of right-handed pitcher Ryne Harper from the Braves. He is the player to be named later in last week’s Jose Ramirez trade. Ramirez was dealt in part to make room on the 40-man and active rosters since he is out of options.

In Harper, Seattle acquires a 26-year-old reliever who has spent a large chunk of his professional career at Double-A. Over the last three seasons with the Braves’ Double-A affiliate, he’s posted a 2.17 ERA, with 10.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 165 innings. His most recent campaign included similar numbers. Scouting reports describe him as a fastball-slider reliever with a 92 mph fastball.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Mariners Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect