3 Takeaways from the Mariners signing RP Austin Voth to an MLB Contract

The Mariners have been busy adding to their bullpen depth over the last week. It started off by adding some minor league arms with invites (non-roster invites, however you want to frame it) in Ty Buttrey and Joey Krehbiel. We will have more on them later, but it wasn't the end of the Mariners signings. They've added RP Austin Voth on a 1YR / $1.25M contract as the latest addition to their bullpen.

As you can see in the graphic, Voth is used to being in Washington. He was born in Covington, went to Kentwood, and then played college ball at the University of Washington. I do think it's a bit funny that he was then drafted by Washington (the Nationals), and after being in the Majors for six seasons, is now returning to the actual state of Washington.

It's not the splashiest of additions, obviously, but it is still and interesting and intriguing addition to the Mariners. The Mariners do have a history, at least a recent one, of grabbing guys off of the proverbial scrap heap, or to be nicer about it, those on cheaper/inexpensive deals, and turning them into a surplus and an asset to their bullpen.

Could Austin Voth be the latest? He has had some good seasons in his career, so you know that the talent is definitely there. He struggled last season with the Orioles, but had a really good 2022 in which he sported a 3.04 ERA across 83 IP with the Orioles. His short time in Washington that year was not good, so we will leave that be.

It does show that there is a large bit of variance in his play, and that the Mariners will be looking to see if the small tweaks they make can get him back to a High 3s ERA reliever. If so, it's a fantastic snag by the Front Office. If not, it's a small contract and no big worry.

I think it is more than just a small signing though. Here are some takeaways from the Mariners most recent deal.