The Seattle Mariners have brought back left-handed pitcher on a minor league contract, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Diaz is already in camp and will participate as a non-roster invitee this spring.
Earlier this month, the Mariners designated Him for assignment, placing him on waivers. After going unclaimed, he opted for free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment. Now, he returns to Seattle, likely to provide rotation depth at Triple-A Tacoma and serve as an emergency option should injuries arise in the big league rotation.
He, has pitched in parts of four MLB seasons—spending 2021-23 with the Angels before joining the Mariners in 2024. Over 45 career innings, he holds a 4.80 ERA, with a modest 15% strikeout rate and a concerning 12.6% walk rate. However, his ability to induce ground balls (45.7%) and limit home runs (0.80 HR/9) are positives.
Seattle’s rotation remained largely healthy in 2024, with Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo making most of the starts. While Diaz wasn’t a major contributor at the MLB level, he provided depth at Triple-A Tacoma, where he started 22 games and posted a 4.36 ERA over 117 2/3 innings.
His 22.9% strikeout rate was roughly league average, while his 9.9% walk rate was still below average but an improvement over his major league numbers.
Diaz isn’t expected to be the first option in case of injuries, as former No. 6 overall pick Emerson Hancock, newly added right-hander Blas Castano, and non-roster invitees Logan Evans and Casey Lawrence could be ahead of him. However, if multiple rotation spots open up, Diaz could find himself back in the mix.
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