Seattle Mariners begin off-season roster trim with 4 moves

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 29: Relief pitcher Anthony Bass of the Seattle Mariners and catcher catcher Omar Narvaez #22 celebrates after a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 29, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won 3-1. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 29: Relief pitcher Anthony Bass of the Seattle Mariners and catcher catcher Omar Narvaez #22 celebrates after a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 29, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won 3-1. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

The World Series isn’t over yet but teams are beginning to make changes to their roster already. The Seattle Mariners are no exception as they got a head start on Tuesday.

The Mariners recently announced 4 roster moves, all involving players who spent time on the 40-man roster. Ryon Healy and Keon Broxton were outrighted off the 40-man and both refused a minor league assignment to AAA Tacoma, making both free agents as of today.

In a bit of a more surprising move, the Mariners also waived right-handed relief pitchers Matt Wisler and Anthony Bass, both of whom were acquired mid-season by GM Jerry Dipoto. All 4 players were arbitration-eligible and expected to earn roughly $6-$7 million total this winter.

Healy, who ended the year on the IL with a back injury, will be looking for an opportunity to make an MLB starting lineup this winter. Healy appeared in 180 games for the Mariners across two seasons, hitting .236/.280/.423 with 31 home runs and 99 RBI. Healy was being phased out of the plans in Seattle, with the first baseman of the future Evan White likely to make his MLB debut in 2020.

Broxton appeared in just 29 games for the Mariners, posting a .115/.238/.231 triple slash. Broxton only appeared in one game in September and his struggles at the plate persisted. Broxton will be searching for his 5th team in 2 years.

Wisler appeared to have carved out a nice niche role with the Mariners. He was used in several roles, but found success as an opener in 2019, posting a 0.00 ERA with 10 strikeouts and 1 BB in 8 appearances that covered 10 innings. He was claimed by the Twins.

Perhaps the most surprising name waived today was RHP Anthony Bass. Bass was a solid addition to the back-end of the bullpen, posting a 3.56 ERA, a 0.979 WHIP, and an 8.1 K/9 in 44 games. Bass was claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays.

All 4 moves leave the Mariners with 37 players on their 40-man roster. These moves are just the beginning of what promises to be an interesting off-season for the Mariners.

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