The Mariners announced that left-hander Tommy Milone has been designated for assignment. In a corresponding move, Seattle selected the contract of infielder Jose Caballero from Triple-A.
After originally signing a minor league deal with the Mariners prior to the 2022 season, Milone rejoined the club on a new minors deal this past winter, and was then selected to the MLB roster just yesterday. Milone got the spot start and was solid (one ER on three hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings) in Seattle’s 5-3 win over the Rockies, and that game officially put Milone on the books for 13 Major League seasons.
Depending on what happens on DFA waivers, however, this cup of coffee could potentially be the end of Milone’s tenure with the Mariners, if another team in need of starting depth made a claim or worked out a trade with the M’s. It perhaps seems more likely that Milone will clear waivers and then remain in the organization as a swingman or depth option, ready to be called back up to Seattle if another need arises in the rotation or bullpen.
Milone’s long career has seen him suit up with nine different teams at the big league level, and he has posted a 4.59 ERA over 949 career innings. Between injuries and time in the minors, Milone has seen limited action over the last three seasons, with only 35 1/3 total innings pitched in the majors since the start of the 2021 season.
As Milone’s career takes its latest turn, Caballero may be on the verge of his MLB debut. A seventh-round pick for the Diamondbacks in the 2017 draft, the M’s acquired Caballero in exchange for Mike Leake at the 2019 trade deadline. Caballero has some solid numbers over his minor league career but he had trouble staying healthy, with only 53 total games played over the 2021-22 seasons. He is off to a very nice start in his first taste of Triple-A ball this season, as Caballero has hit .333/.550/.593 with two homers over his first 40 plate appearances of the 2023 campaign.
It might be a short-lived stint in the bigs for Caballero, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times notes that the Mariners made the call-up since Sam Haggerty was shaken up after a dive in yesterday’s game. If Haggerty ends up being okay, Caballero might end up back at Triple-A when Marco Gonzales returns from the paternity list later in the week. In the meantime, Caballero’s ability to play shortstop, second base, and third base will help fill Haggerty’s utility role.
Gaiety reigns in Seattle!
Milone could have thrown a perfect game last night and this would have still been the outcome. It’s a shame.
Why? Milone got a chance to pitch in the big show again. I’m sure he’s hoping against the odds to get his 10 years in, but the Mariners are paying $750k and that’s more than he’d make in Korea or Japan, not to mention more than he’d make in public policy and development right now.
Man, oh man, what an analogy.
The penultimate “hit man”, like I was saying yesterday:
Brought in for one quick hit on a baseball team and then gone just as quickly.
They didn’t even leave Milone in for that last out in the 5th inning so he could get the win. The record shows 4-2/3 innings and nothing more for Tommy Milone.
That is the rotten side of baseball, the way it is set up these days.
I wonder what Tommy Milone gets out of this. I wonder how he feels.
He didn’t get any extra money, that’s for sure
And don’t start telling me about an extra day per deim, or some other nickel and dime stuff.
I work 40 hours a week all year and make 70k Milone pitches a baseball for a few months a year and will make 700 k this year, im sure he is fine with it.
My complaint is not really about dollars and cents.
What bugs me is that they didn’t even give him the courtesy of getting the win.
They yanked him at the last second and handed the win to the newcomer, whose resume they are trying to build.
It’s a cruel hard world.
Milone’s ERA over the past 8 years is 5.75 with 0.1 fWAR cumulative. The Mariners are trying to win games, Milone is trying to look good in whatever MLB chances he gets to put himself in a position to get some time on the 26 man if there’s a rotation spot which opens. Milone has 53 career wins. One more hardly matters, but him pitching well enough to maybe not get cut does matter. Milone pitched well enough to maybe get another call up.
He’s an entertainer. There’s only so much stage time for everyone.
The A’s should claim him
Milone is the perfect guy for a team going nowhere to eat innings, if healthy. Can’t see them giving up much to get him though
The mariners fans back home salute you for a job well done, milone
Tommy, they hardly knew ‘ye….
He’s made 31 appearances for us since 2019. Some might say the M’s know him too well.
This dude was actually pretty good in Oakland early in his career. Just 20 teams to go! Be the first player to play for all 30 teams!
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I hope the Pirates go get him. They have a low number of left handers on 26 man roster. Plus my gut is telling me Rich Hill is finally out of gas. (Hope I’m wrong.)
Good morning, good afternoon, & goodbye, all u can do is answer when Ur name is called, w/all the beat up 4’s & 5’s throughout league sum1 will claim em
Milone, seems to me someone will pick him up. Of course I would like to know the thought process behind this. This Caballero which no one has mentioned has been playing well. Haggerty on the other hand has not shown much with his opportunity of getting more playing time. Caballero may be on the outside looking in but this could be his big chance to make an impression.
All pretty interesting. I would have thought McGoughan would have been a more logical 40-man drop. (I know they just brought him up in case a long man is needed for the next couple of weeks, but Milone can fill that role after he gets 2 days to recover from his 4 innings of work.) I would have also thought McCoy was the logical MI call up.
Shows that I don’t know quite a bit. (I also thought Hancock or Dollard, who both started the same day as Marco’s spot, would have been called up for the spot start.)
Millone will be traded to the Padres, and will be back in the Mariners org in a month.
While the motivation behind this may seem disguised I think it may well have been in the end to Milones benefit.