The Mariners have agreed to sign right-handers Matt Magill, Gerson Bautista, and Brady Lail to minor league contracts, The Athletic’s Corey Brock reports (Twitter link). All three pitchers were outrighted off Seattle’s 40-man roster following the season.
Magill entered the season as a candidate to become the Mariners’ closer, following a solid performance (3.94 ERA, 10.1 K/9, 2.79 K/BB rate) over 107 1/3 innings for the Twins and Mariners in 2018-19. As it happened, Magill’s only two save opportunities of 2020 resulted in blown saves, and the only two poor outings of his season — Magill tossed nine scoreless innings over nine of his appearances, and seven earned runs over 1 1/3 innings in those two blown saves, working out to a somewhat misleading 6.10 ERA for the season.
Shoulder surgery cut Magill’s season short in mid-September, and it’s quite possible that his injury played a role in those two blown saves, given that they both occurred within Magill’s final three games of 2020. Magill is expected to be healthy and ready in time for the start of Spring Training. He was eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, projected to earn somewhere between $700-$800K depending on how arb salaries are calculated this offseason.
Bautista didn’t pitch at all in 2020 due to a flexor strain in his elbow, and he also missed significant time due to a pec injury in 2019. The hard-throwing righty still has only 13 1/3 big league innings under his belt, all with the Mets and Mariners in 2018-19. Bautista is best known for being one of the five players acquired by the Mariners in the huge blockbuster trade in December 2018 that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to New York.
Claimed off waivers from the White Sox in August, Lail posted a 4.41 ERA, 1.71 K/BB rate, and 6.6 K/9 over 16 1/3 combined innings for Seattle and Chicago last season. Originally an 18th-round pick for the Yankees in the 2012 draft, Lail’s eight seasons in New York’s farm system resulted in one MLB appearance before he was let go after the 2019 season.
I think Lail is a solid piece to have on hand. probably wolnt ever be a superstar out of the pen, but could become an okay 1-2 inning guy.
Oh good. Now that the Mariners have re-signed Bautista, they can win the Cano trade with the Mets…haha
Still has to be re-added to the 40 and active roster at some point, but yeah, they have a slight chance at pulling it off.
This is not looking good, if Dipoto think they can make the playoffs by picking guys off waivers and signings shaky relievers.
We are set for another disastrous bp next year.
There are a lot of top tier relievers and this is the best they can do improve their bp? SMH
Stop messing around,sign Soria,Hendricks or Rosenthal, we M’s fan deserve better than this. So disappointing
Please don’t comment if you have no clue what you are talking about.
Until they add decent relievers I’d say still not looking too promising.
I know is still early in the offseason but hopefully they’ll add some quality bp arms.
Don’t bother this is probably halohankie looking at his team and realizing they will be looking up at all the teams in the AL West.
It could also be imindless having a meltdown, but halohankie is a good guess.
Are you for real, or a troll? I really hope a troll
This is not looking good, if Dipoto think they can make the playoffs by picking guys off waivers and signings shaky relievers.
We are set for another disastrous bp next year.
There are a lot of top tier relievers and this is the best they can do improve their bp? SMH
Stop messing around,sign Soria,Hendricks or Rosenthal, we M’s fan deserve better than this. So disappointing
This is not looking good, if Dipoto think they can make the playoffs by picking guys off waivers and signings shaky relievers.
We are set for another disastrous bp next year.
There are a lot of top tier relievers and this is the best they can do improve their bp? SMH
Stop messing around,sign Soria,Hendricks or Rosenthal, we M’s fan deserve better than this. So disappointing
This is not looking good, if Dipoto think they can make the playoffs by picking guys off waivers and signings shaky relievers.
We are set for another disastrous bp next year.
There are a lot of top tier relievers and this is the best they can do improve their bp? SMH
Stop messing around,sign Soria,Hendricks or Rosenthal, we M’s fan deserve better than this. So disappointing
This is not looking good, if Dipoto think they can make the playoffs by picking guys off waivers and signings shaky relievers.
We are set for another disastrous bp next year.
There are a lot of top tier relievers and this is the best they can do improve their bp? SMH
Stop messing around,sign Soria,Hendricks or Rosenthal, we M’s fan deserve better than this. So disappointing.
They are minor league signings so no this isnt the best they’ll do as they plan to add 4 players to the major league bp as Dipoto has stated. Also, these arent really picking guys off waivers as these were guys they DFA’d from their own 40 man roster and now signed them to a minor league contract.
Tell me again what isn’t looking good?
He has a computer keyboard stutter. Or Halohankie crying as he writes this and the tears keep sending it as he thinks about his team.
Lol sorry I kept clicking publish but
I didn’t get the prompt saying it got published until I clicked a bunch of times. I couldn’t delete the duplicate messages.
That’s it Kotta 2, you’re out. Bring on Kotta 3.
Technical mistakes aside, why are you stressing minor-league signings? These are good things. Each of these players were DFAd off of the 40. Seattle is obviously making room for Trammell, Delaplane, Then, Mills, and possibly Rizzo. But there’s also room for FA signings.
Exercise patience. The offseason is just getting started. Graveman was brought back for the bullpen, which helps. We can anticipate at least 2 more relievers; probably 3, and I would guess we see at least one fielder brought in.
Yeah fair point, I got carried away I was just expecting them to sign an top tier arm I guess.
I think the best option right now would be Soria, he’s low risk and has tons of experience, I don’t think they are going after top marquee names like Hendricks or Treinen.
If they can improve the bp either with free agents or somehow with homegrown talent, a .500 season seems realistic.
Are you for real, or a troll? I really hope a troll
So as a relief pitcher update for the M’s:
***they’ve re-signed Kendall Graveman with the intent of moving him permanently from SP to RP;. was 2017 and 2018 opening day starter for Oakland.
***They’ve traded for Texas closer Rafael Montero, giving up a very promising young pitcher about 3 years away from MLB play; missed all of 2018 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Montero returned to toss 29 innings out of the Texas bullpen in 2019, looking very impressive in posting a 2.48 ERA.
***They’ve signed Kenyan Middleton, an Angels free agent; only 13 appearances in 2020, coming back from TJ surgery in 2019; 3.48/1.26 career stats.
***They’ve signed Drew Steckenrider, a Miami free agent hurt in 2019, didn’t play in the shortened 2020 season, but had great 2017 rookie year and follow-up 2018 season; 3.72/1.26 career stats.
***They’ve signed Domingo Tapia, 29, Boston free agent who throws 99 mph and made his MLB debut in just a few games in 2020.
***Picked up Will Vest in Rule 5 draft from Detroit system; Rule 5 draft picks from 2018 and 2019 both made the M’s bullpen and remain with the club; “We’re really excited. He was the No. 1 target on our board,” Mariners assistant GM Justin Hollander said. “He’s a very athletic right-handed reliever who really took a step forward in the instructional league. His velocity was up, action was up and command was up.