The Mariners have signed left-hander Joe Beimel to a minor league contract, the team announced. Beimel unofficially announced the deal himself via his Instagram page earlier tonight, with Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times confirming that the deal would be finalized when Beimel passed a physical.
Beimel posted a strong 2.20 ERA in 45 relief innings for Seattle in 2014, though his advanced metrics (4.18 FIP, 4.17 xFIP, 4.09 SIERA) paint a different picture of his effectiveness, as Beimel was aided by a .250 BABIP and a whopping 86.8% strand rate. Left-handed hitters managed only a .504 OPS against Beimel last season, indicating that the veteran can still contribute as a specialist out of the bullpen.
Beimel, who turns 38 on April 19, signed a one-year, non-guaranteed Major League deal with the Rangers in early March but was released just over two weeks later after being hit hard in brief spring action. Charlie Furbush and rookie Tyler Olson project to be Seattle’s two left-handed bullpen options on Opening Day.
