Mariners claim former second-round pick reclamation project from Blue Jays

Anytime Jerry Dipoto adds a reliever, whether that be via trade, free agency or a waiver claim, it is a good idea to keep that name in the back of your head. No matter how insignificant it may seem at that time, if Dipoto has proven one thing, it's that he can find above-average relievers from anywhere.

We have seen this time and time again. Guys like Paul Sewald, Justin Topa, Drew Steckenrider, Collin Snider, Trent Thornton, Gabe Speier ... do you get the point?

Even though many fans might prefer Dipoto goes and signs a proven big-league arm (like Yimi Garcia before Toronto snatched him up), that just isn't something that we have seen the team do. Instead, they opt to rely heavily on Andres Muñoz while adding a stable of unproven arms in hopes that one or two of them hit.

Mariners add converted Blue Jays pitcher, Hagen Danner, to bullpen mix

They indeed have added one of those arms, as the Mariners claimed 26-year-old reliever Hagen Danner from the Toronto Blue Jays. This might not seem like an exciting move, but adding a solid reliever could be one of the most overlooked needs for the 2025 Mariners' roster, and Danner has pretty much dominated at each stop in the minor leagues.

Danner has had an interesting path to his career as a reliever. He was drafted in 2017 in the second round as a catcher. He spent his time focusing on his offense until COVID happened. During that time, he switched to pitching and debuted in 2021 as a reliever and hit the ground running. He posted elite strikeout numbers and showed excellent control for someone with very little pitching experience.

Danner's 2024 season was mainly spent at Triple-A, and he dominated there. In 25 1/3 innings, he had a 3.15 ERA, with a 9.2 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. With a little over 100 innings as a professional pitcher, there is a lot of growth still to be had. It is kind of surprising that the Blue Jays let go of Danner, but hopefully the Mariners can take advantage of this move.

Danner also has a slider with an above-average spin rate (just like his fastball), something that Dipoto and the pitching development group had to be salivating over. This move might frustrate fans right now, considering the state of the rest of the offseason, but come July this could end up being an impactful move.