Mariners claim another pitcher off waivers, this time from the Brewers

Seattle claims former 2015 first-round draft pick from Milwaukee.

Atlanta Braves v Milwaukee Brewers
Atlanta Braves v Milwaukee Brewers | John Fisher/GettyImages

Last Thursday, Jerry Dipoto and the Seattle Mariners claimed Milwaukee Brewers left-handed relief pitcher Tyler Jay off waivers. He was the second reliever to be claimed by the Mariners that week, as Seattle also claimed Hagen Danner from the Toronto Blue Jays.    

Jay's path to the Major Leagues has been long and winding. Jay was drafted sixth overall in 2015 out of the University of Illinois by the Minnesota Twins. His mid-90s fastball, plus-slider, and curveball were tantalizing for MLB scouts. There was plenty of upside for Jay to develop from a college baseball reliever to being an MLB-caliber starting pitcher. 

Unfortunately, multiple pitching injuries, including thoracic outlet syndrome in 2017, hindered Jay's career. Jay reached Double-A in 2019 before he was traded. After being released in 2020 and finding himself out of baseball in 2021, Jay signed up to pitch in independent baseball. His performance caught the eye of New York Mets scouts, who purchased his contract in 2023.

Former top-10 pick Tyler Jay's road to the Mariners has been long

Jay was called up by the New York Mets last April but only appeared in three games before being designated for assignment. That DFA led to a trade to the Brewers, where he appeared in only two games in 2024. Between the Mets and the Brewers, Jay pitched in 7.2 innings with six strikeouts and six walks last season.

History shows that Jerry Dipoto loves to take fliers on reclamation projects, but what makes Jay stand out? 

Last year, Jay was an effective pitcher at the Triple-A level. According to Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors, Jay had "a 20.9% strikeout rate, 5.1% walk rate and 47.3% ground ball rate" between the Brewers and Mets organizations. At Syracuse, Jay pitched in 41.1 innings, collecting 30 strikeouts compared to four walks. That was good enough for a 7.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

The Mariners' pitching staff has four other southpaws on the 40-man roster. With Austin Kitchen, Gabe Speier, Jhonathan Díaz, and Tayler Saucedo as the other left-handed pitchers, Jay should push for opportunities with the Mariners. Given the setbacks of the Mariners' bullpen last year, adding another reclamation project such as Jay can turn a weakness in 2024 into a strength in 2025.     

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