The Mariners claimed infielder Mark Mathias off waivers from the Pirates today, per a club announcement. Mathias had previously been designated for assignment by Pittsburgh in order to make room for recently-acquired right-hander Andre Jackson on the 40-man roster. A corresponding move wasn’t necessary, as the club’s 40-man roster had an empty spot after the club designated Chris Flexen for assignment last week.
Mathias, 28, was a third-round pick by Cleveland in the 2015 draft. He made his major league debut with the Brewers during the shortened 2020 campaign, appearing in 16 games while playing first base, second base, and all three outfield spots. He spent the entire 2021 season on the shelf with a torn labrum before being traded to the Rangers at the 2022 Trade Deadline in the deal that sent right-hander Matt Bush to Milwuakee.
Mathias hit well in 24 games with the Rangers, slashing .277/.365/.554 in 74 plate appearances while splitting time between the infield and outfield corners. Prior to the 2023 campaign, Mathias was designated for assignment to make room for left-hander Will Smith on the Rangers’ 40-man roster. He was shipped to the Pirates shortly thereafter, where he slashed .231/.355/.269 in 24 games while primarily playing second base prior to his DFA.
Going forward, Mathias figures to join the likes of Sam Haggerty, Taylor Trammell, and Cooper Hummell as depth options in Triple-A behind the big league bench of AJ Pollock, Dylan Moore, Jose Caballero, and Tom Murphy.
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