The Seattle Mariners have made a move to free up some roster space, assigning right-handed reliever Chris Flexen to the free agent pool. Flexen was acquired by the Mariners in a trade with the New York Mets in December of 2020.
Flexen, 26, had a decent season with the Mets in 2020, posting a 4.58 ERA in 22 appearances. He also had a 3.86 ERA in 11 appearances with the Mariners. Flexen was expected to compete for a spot in the Mariners bullpen this season, but the team decided to go in a different direction.
Flexen is now a free agent and can sign with any team. He will likely be attractive to teams looking for bullpen help as he has experience pitching in both the majors and minors. He has also shown the ability to be effective against both left-handed and right-handed batters.
The Mariners have not yet announced who they will bring up from the minors to replace Flexen. It is likely that they will look to add another reliever or two to their bullpen in the coming weeks.
The Mariners have been busy this offseason, making several moves to improve their roster. They have added several veterans, including James Paxton, Kendall Graveman, and Keon Broxton, as well as some young prospects such as Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert.
It remains to be seen if the Mariners’ moves will pay off, but they have certainly made some interesting decisions this offseason. Assigning Chris Flexen to the free agent pool is just one of those decisions, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up signing.
