Yankees' Oswaldo Cabrera DFA gives Mariners a can't-miss shot to fill key hole

When analyzing the Mariners' disastrous 2026 campaign, the front office has understandably received a lot of criticism. Not all of it has been fair, because things like injuries and key players performing poorly are things which -- for the most part -- are outside their control. However, one thing it's imperative they do a better job of moving forward, is finding quality depth.

Harsh or not, let's be honest in saying the optics don't look good when you're running out the likes of Weston Wilson, Buddy Kennedy, Connor Joe and Brock Rodden. And while he's had his moments, we would also include Leo Rivas. If Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander want to get back into the good graces of Mariners fans, they must be more focused on providing stronger roster depth, which brings us to Oswaldo Cabrera.

As reported by Patrick Donnelly of MLB.com, the Yankees have designated Cabrera for assignment to make way for the return of Clarke Schmidt. It never really happened for the 27-year-old Cabrera in New York, but he did play a combined 223 regular season games for the Bronx Bombers in 2023 and 2024. The 2024 campaign in particular stood out, as he hit .247 with eight home runs and 36 RBI, on the way to a 1.3 bWAR. (As a comparison, Wilson, Kennedy, Connor, Rodden and Rivas have combined for a -0.9 bWAR this season.)

Oswaldo Cabrera ticks plenty of boxes for the Mariners as the type of quality depth player they need

Cabrera became a firm fan favorite with teammates and fans alike during his time in New York, which speaks volumes. It's what happens when you work hard and do what's best for the team, something which certain players in Seattle could have done a better job of during this season. He checks other boxes as well as someone the Mariners should be interested in, specifically as a versatile player who has played every position in the majors with the exception of catcher.

On top of all this, the Venezuela native is a switch-hitter who's better from the right side, which has us projecting him as a potential natural partner for Brendan Donovan. Some people may point to Cabrera only playing three games for the Yankees this season. However, it's not as if he moped around in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, as evidenced by hitting .288 with a .790 OPS over 122 games, alluding once again to his work ethic and team-first attitude.

There's actually a connection to the Mariners, with Cabrera suffering a scary injury when he broke his ankle during a game last May Seattle, and he had to be taken off the field in an ambulance. Talk about a player putting his body on the line to try and win, which is just the kind mentality the M's need more of. (Minus any injury of course.) Consider these comments from Yankees manager Aaron Boone:

"I feel like I’m blessed to have a lot of guys on this team I just admire and respect and love doing the job with on a daily basis. And Oswaldo’s right there at the top of that list. Just how he goes about things, how he treats people, the teammate he is."

Aaron Boone

That sure sounds likee a parting reason Dipoto and company should make a move for Cabrera.

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