The Mariners announced that they’ve claimed right-hander A.J. Schugel off waivers from the D-backs and designated lefty Tyler Olson for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
The 26-year-old Schugel was designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for Zack Greinke. The former Angels farmhand who went to the D-backs in the first Mark Trumbo trade, yielded five earned runs (13 total runs) in just nine innings of work in his 2015 MLB debut. This claim reunites him with GM Jerry Dipoto, who knows him well from his days as general manager in Anaheim. Schugel posted a 4.84 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 115 1/3 innings of work for the D-backs’ Triple-A affiliate in Reno this past season. While it’s a notoriously hitter-friendly environment, those results were nonetheless discouraging after a solid 2014 season at the Double-A level.
Olson, like Schugel, is 26 years old and made his Major League debut in 2015. Olson tallied 13 1/3 innings out of the Mariners’ bullpen but surrendered eight runs on 18 hits and 10 walks, although a staggering seven of those 10 walks were intentional in nature. In 54 1/3 Triple-A innings, Olson managed a more palatable 4.47 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. However, after holding lefties to a .206/.280/.279 batting line in 2014, the Gonzaga product yielded a .253/.340/.448 slash to lefties between the Majors and minors in 2015.
Do the Mariners even consider making more moves now that most all their big needs have been filled?