Mariners can't stop adding recognizable journeyman ahead of spring training

As spring training gets closer, the Seattle Mariners keep adding familiar, low-risk depth. Connor Joe is the latest recognizable journeyman on a minor-league deal who’ll be in camp competing for a roster spot.

They also brought back lefty Jhonathan Díaz on a minor-league deal after a quick roster shuffle. It fits the same pattern as Patrick Wisdom, Brennen Davis, Randy Dobnak, and Dane Dunning — recognizable names brought in to compete for depth.

Mariners add Connor Joe and bring back Jhonathan Díaz on minor-league pacts

If you’re a Mariners fan hoping spring training means bold moves, we get why this reads like the front office is shopping exclusively in the “recognizable, inexpensive, non-committal” aisle. But it also makes sense.

Connor Joe is the cleanest example of the type. Once upon a time, he was literally framed as a breakout candidate — patient approach, sneaky value, could pop if the role ever stabilized. That didn’t really materialize into a true everyday leap, and his recent line is more of a useful roster patch. He was 0-for-9 in a short Padres cameo before landing in Cincinnati in May 2025. The 2025 MLB results didn’t help his case (.186/.263/.243, 0 HR in 42 games), and his career line (.239 AVG, .333 OBP) reads like classic bench depth

Joe fits exactly what Seattle needs in camp. He can stand in multiple spots, take professional at-bats, and let the Mariners avoid forcing a prospect decision in March just because the roster is thin for a week. Same with Díaz: depth arm, knows the org, and the timing lines up with the Logan Evans injury (UCL surgery, out for the 2026 season). 

And if you want the purest distillation of “spring training is a vibes laboratory,” it’s probably Jhonny Pereda — acquired for catching depth — whose most famous highlight might be striking out Shohei Ohtani while pitching as a position player. 

The Mariners can’t stop adding journeymen. It’s certainly not sexy. But it is intentional. Seattle’s basically building a spring-training airbag. A pile of competent, familiar names that keeps one injury from turning into a panic trade.