Looking to aid their overall roster, the Seattle Mariners have signed right-handed pitcher Corey Abbott to a minor league deal.
Per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times:
Mariners are signing RHP Cory Abbott to a minor league deal with invite to MLB camp. He worked both as a starter and reliever in the past with Nats and Cubs
It was recently reported that the M's were looking for bullpen help, but it's unknown at this time if they see Abbott as a potential fit in that role or if they see him as an organizational depth starter.
The M's have a history of taking interesting arms and molding them into useful bullpen arms as evidenced by the recent history with Paul Sewald, Gabe Speier, Justin Topa and Drew Steckenrider.
The 28-year-old San Diego native was drafted in the second round of the 2017 draft by the Chicago Cubs. He made his major league debut in 2021 with the Cubs before going to Washington for 2022 and 2023.
Lifetime, he's 1-7 with a 6.02 ERA. He appeared in a career-high 22 games this past season.
If the Mariners do intend on using him as a starting pitcher, he likely slots in no higher than eighth on the depth chart, falling behind Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, Anthony DeSclafani and Emerson Hancock.
In the bullpen, the M's likely feature Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, Topa, and Speier as roster locks, so there is more opportunity out there. Prelander Berroa and Ty Adcock, as well as Eduard Bazardo, Carlos Vargas, Trent Thornton and Tayler Saucedo are also on the 40-man roster.
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