Mariners confirm Jhonathan Diaz has elected for free agency

The Seattle Mariners also advised that outfielder Cade Marlowe has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.

Jhonathan Díaz’s tenure with the Seattle Mariners is over, after just one season in the Pacific Northwest. As confirmed by the club’s PR department on Friday, the left-handed pitcher has cleared waivers and elected for free agency.

Díaz was designated for assignment, after the Mariners acquired Casey Legumina from the Cincinnati Reds. Now, the 28-year-old Díaz will look to join his fourth Major League organization after also previously spending time with the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels.

The Venezuela native saw little action at the Major League level with the Mariners during last season, compiling a subpar 4.66 ERA, 5.13 FIP and 1.759 WHIP in 9.2 combined innings over five appearances. He spent the majority of 2024 in Triple-A Tacoma, where he produced a 9-3 record, 4.36 ERA and 1.470 WHIP in 22 starts (plus one other appearance).

For his Major League career, Díaz has a 4.80 ERA, 4.90 FIP and 1.733 WHIP in 45.0 overall innings over 16 appearances (including seven starts), which includes three seasons pitching for the Angels between 2021-23. One thing in particular he will need to work on is his issue with walks, with a career 12.6 percent walk-rate in the Majors.

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Cade Marlowe takes a different direction for the Mariners

In another move confirmed by the Mariners, Cade Marlowe has also cleared waivers, but has been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma. The reason for this is because it is his first career outright, so he has no choice but to accept the minor league assignment.

Marlowe was designated for assignment as a result of the Mariners re-signing Jorge Polanco. Despite being outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma, the thinking is that the outfielder will be offered a non-roster invite to Major League spring training, which begins this week when pitchers and catchers report to Peoria on Feb. 12.

In respect of this, Marlowe saw little action at the Major League level last year, with him limited to eight games and only extending to eight at-bats. He did little at the plate as evidenced by a .583 OPS, but it’s unfair to hold this against him with so few chances to get into the flow of things.

For what it’s worth, the 27-year-old fared decently enough for the Mariners during his rookie year in 2023, playing in 34 games and including 88 at-bats. In the process he produced three home runs and 11 RBI, which contributed towards a .750 OPS and resulted in a 1.0 WAR.

With pitchers and catchers set to report this coming week, what has you most excited about the Mariners in 2025? On the flip side, what is causing you the most concern? Let us know in the comments section below.