Mariners avoid arbitration, add Jay off waivers

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 30: Tyler Jay #54 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch during the game against the Atlanta Braves at American Family Field on July 30, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (John Fisher / Getty Images)

The Seattle Mariners reached agreements with all seven players eligible for salary arbitration on Thursday, and claimed left-handed pitcher Tyler Jay off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.

The players with new contracts for 2025 include outfielder Randy Arozarena, catcher Cal Raleigh, starting pitchers Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, and relievers Trent Thornton, Gabe Speier, and Tayler Saucedo.

The contracts agreed upon for next season for each player, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com:

– OF Randy Arozarena: $11.3 million (previously $8.1 million).
– SP Logan Gilbert: $7.625 million (previously $4.05 million).
– C Cal Raleigh: $5.6 million (previously $795,000).
– SP George Kirby: $4.3 million (previously $798,600).
– RP Trent Thornton: $2 million (previously $1.2 million).

Figures for Speier and Saucedo have not been disclosed. Both players made just over $753,000 last season with the Mariners.

Arozarena, Gilbert and Thornton were in their second year of arbitration eligibility, while Raleigh, Kirby, Speier and Saucedo were arbitration-eligible for the first time.

The deadline for contract agreements was 10 a.m. PT on Thursday before arbitration figures what to be submitted by both sides. Negotiations can continue after the deadline, but the Mariners got all of their players accounted for before needing to go to arbitration. The Mariners have had just two players go through salary arbitration since Jerry Dipoto began running personnel for the team in 2015: second baseman Adam Frazier in 2022, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández in 2023.

Jay, 30, has appeared in five career games at the MLB level with all five coming last season. He made three appearances with the New York Mets and two with the Brewers last season, posting a 4.70 ERA with four runs allowed in 7 ⅔ innings pitched with six walks and six strikeouts.

Jay was the sixth overall pick of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins out of the University of Illinois. He made 36 appearances in Triple-A last season for Syracuse (Mets) and Nashville (Brewers), posting a 5-1 record with a 3.02 ERA. He tossed 56 ⅔ innings with 12 walks and 49 strikeouts.

With the addition of Jay, the Mariners now have a full 40-man roster.