Seattle Mariners make plethora of moves as offseason begins

After the Red Sox’s World Series victory this past Sunday night, the MLB offseason has kicked into full gear. With that, the Mariners have now made a few moves, including a rather big decision on one of their best hitters from the 2018 season.

That would be Denard Span, who was under team control for the 2019 season via a $12 million club option. Seattle has opted against picking up said option, buying out Span’s contract for $4 million and allowing him to pursue an opportunity elsewhere in free agency.

This now opens up a hole in left field on the Mariners’ roster. We’ve made the case for Ben Gamel to become the full-time starter out there, but it’s possible Seattle doesn’t see it that way and will look to target one of the MLB’s impending free agent left fielders over the next month or two. At the time of the move, the M’s only held three outfielders on their 40-man roster.

Today, however, they added a fourth outfielder, bringing back a familiar face in John Andreoli. The 28-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, who initially claimed him from the Mariners back in August. In 61 plate appearances for the O’s, Andreoli slashed .232/.279/.268 with four RBI.

The Mariners also reinstated injured relievers Sam Tuivailala and Juan Nicasio from the disabled list, adding them back to the 40-man roster. Additionally, Seattle selected first base prospect Joey Curletta to the 40-man roster, protecting him from a potential poaching in December’s Rule-5 Draft. Curletta also had the option of opting for free agency, but it now appears that he’ll remain in Seattle’s organization for the foreseeable future. Earlier this month, we mentioned Curletta as one of the six potential Mariners prospects to make their debut this upcoming season.

With these moves, Seattle’s 40-man roster currently sits at 37. This number will constantly shift as the offseason progresses, with more spots soon to open after the Mariners deal with arbitration.

It shouldn’t be too long before Jerry Dipoto makes his first big splash of the offseason, so be sure to check back with us at SoDo Mojo for the latest offseason news and rumors on the Seattle Mariners!