Mariners expanded roster reveals fresh deal with one of MLB's most extreme pitchers

The Seattle Mariners have released their expanded 28-man roster for September, and the Lazaro Montes aspect of it is already old news. Say hello to side-arming left-hander Hoby Milner, who signed with the team before being added to the roster on Tuesday.

This is a new reveal, and the timing is key. In order to be eligible for the postseason, players need to be on a team's 40-man roster or 60-day injured list before noon ET on September 1. The Mariners signed Milner to a minor league contract on Monday, so he has seemingly come in under the cutoff. That will matter if the Mariners make it to October, which isn't technically impossible yet.

To make room for Montes and Milner, the Mariners designated for assignment utility man Connor Joe and right-hander Nolan Kingham in corresponding moves.

The 35-year-old Milner is in his 10th big league season. He peaked with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023, making 73 appearances and pitching to a 1.82 ERA. More recently, he was with the Chicago Cubs before they released him from a one-year, $3.75 million deal on Sunday. Because of an IL stint for an appendectomy, Milner hasn't pitched in the majors since June 25. The Mariners owe him a prorated amount on the MLB minimum salary of $780,000.

Milner had a solid 3.53 ERA in 38 appearances with the Cubs, though he was less effective against left-handed batters (.703 OPS) than he has otherwise been throughout his career (.618 OPS). Either way, he retained one of the most extreme pitching deliveries in MLB, with his average horizontal release registering at a wider point than any other pitcher in the game.

Hoby Milner joins a Mariners bullpen that needs all the help it can get

If Milner is nothing else, he's a fresh arm for a bullpen that has been getting shelled. Since the trade deadline passed on August, Seattle relievers have an MLB-worst 7.71 ERA.

The two incumbent lefties have unfortunately been part of the problem, as Gabe Speier and Jose A. Ferrer have combined for 21 appearances and a 5.49 ERA since August 4. They have collectively struck out only 13 of the 86 batters they have faced.

Milner's fastball averages just 87.0 mph, and his 35.2 innings at the MLB level this year have yielded only 18 strikeouts. Yet even if the Mariners can't expect him to infuse the bullpen with additional bat-missing prowess, he can be useful for stifling loud contact. As recently as 2024, he was in the 99th percentile for barrel rate.

With 24 games left to play, the Mariners are 10 games under .500 and 6.0 games out in the AL West. How much any one person, much less a specialist lefty reliever, can help salvage their season is a good question.

Now more than ever, though, beggars can't be choosers. And if Milner at least makes the Mariners easier to watch, it's still an upgrade.

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