The Seattle Mariners continued strengthening their bullpen this offseason with another move, this time striking a deal with an AL West rival.
After signing hard-throwing right-hander Shintaro Fujinami last week, the Mariners traded for right-hander Will Klein from the Oakland Athletics, using international bonus pool money as part of the exchange. Klein, 25, was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut with them last season. He was later dealt to Oakland at the trade deadline in a swap involving Lucas Erceg.
In his five appearances with the Royals last season, Klein posted a 6.35 ERA with six strikeouts across 5 2/3 innings. While those stats might not stand out, things took an even more notable turn after his arrival in Oakland.
Mariners trade for Athletics pitcher Will Klein and DFA recent acquisition Tyler Jay for roster space
Klein pitched in three games for the Athletics in 2024, allowing five runs and recording just one strikeout over 1 2/3 innings. For those keeping track, that equates to a 27.00 ERA, bringing his career ERA to a rough 11.05 over eight Major League appearances with Kansas City and Oakland. Ouch.
The Mariners have a reputation for successfully developing pitchers, but Klein will certainly be a challenging reclamation project. On the bright side, Klein still has a couple of Minor League options, giving Seattle flexibility to use him as bullpen depth while he refines his skills in Triple-A Tacoma.
To make room for Klein on the 40-man roster, the Mariners designated 30-year-old lefty Tyler Jay for assignment. Jay, who was claimed off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month, was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft but has struggled with injuries throughout his career. In 2024, he allowed four earned runs over 7 2/3 innings split between the Brewers and Mets.
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