Mariners Claim Grant McCray

The Mariners have claimed outfielder Grant McCray off waivers from the Giants, according to announcements from both clubs. The Mariners say their 40-man count is now at 35 though players on the 60-day injured list will need to be reinstated by Monday. RosterResource projects Seattle for a 40-man count of 43 for the offseason, including McCray.

A lot of teams are doing roster maintenance at this time of year. Free agency began today, opening some 40-man spots. But as mentioned, the IL goes away five days after the end of the World Series. The Giants are in a fairly extreme spot in this regard. As of this morning, RosterResource pegged them for a 40-man count of 56. Putting McCray on waivers was just one of many moves they will have to make this week. As mentioned, the Mariners also have to do some roster maneuvering, but they will grab McCray with the openings they currently have.

McCray, 26 in December, was a third-round pick of the Giants back in 2019. He was added to the 40-man roster late in 2024. Since then, he has served as up-and-down outfield depth, getting shuttled between the majors and Triple-A. In 102 big league games, he has stepped to the plate 247 times and produced an ugly .170/.235/.323 line. But Statcast put his sprint speed in the 95th percentile of qualified players this year. In his career, McCray has stolen 13 bags without getting caught.

Oddly, the wheels haven’t translated into strong defensive numbers yet, but he should be able to make gains there. He might be able to provide more on offense as well. From 2024 to 2026, he made 1,185 plate appearances in the minors. His 26.7% strikeout rate in that time was high but he also drew walks at an 11.6% clip and slashed .246/.337/.420 for a 101 wRC+.

The Mariners project to have an outfield consisting of Julio Rodríguez, Lazaro Montes, Dominic Canzone, Luke Raley and Brennen Davis. They will likely look to bring in an external addition to replace Randy Arozarena, who is now a free agent. McCray still has an option remaining, so he could be kept in Triple-A as a depth option in 2027. It’s also possible the Mariners look to pass him through waivers at some point later in the offseason to keep him as non-roster depth.