Friday brought a pair of moves that didn’t involve the Mariners directly, but both still landed with some meaning in Seattle’s orbit.
First came Easton McGee, the former Mariners right-hander who was designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers. For Seattle fans, McGee is still tied to one unforgettable afternoon.
On April 29, 2023, he made his first major league start and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. Matt Chapman finally cracked it with a two-out double, and McGee’s day ended after 6 2/3 innings of one-hit ball.
The Mariners still lost 1-0 in 10 innings, a brutally familiar finish.
That outing briefly made it look like McGee might be another surprise find in Seattle’s pitching pipeline. Instead, he landed on the IL the next day with a forearm strain and later had Tommy John surgery.
He missed the next season while recovering, then worked his way back with Milwaukee. Since then, he has bounced between the Brewers and Triple-A Nashville, threw two scoreless innings this season, and was optioned in May.
A reunion with Seattle? It’s possible, but only in the narrow sense that he could be a depth arm. Nothing about this move suggests a fix for any of the Mariners’ bigger roster issues.
The other headline belonged to the Cardinals, who reportedly locked up rookie standout JJ Wetherholt on a long-term extension that buys out multiple free-agent seasons. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the deal reaches nine figures, putting Wetherholt into the fast-growing club of young players getting paid before they ever touch the open market.
“BREAKING: Rookie standout JJ Wetherholt and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a long-term contract extension that will buy out multiple years of free agency, sources tell ESPN. Wetherholt, 23, has been tremendous and is the latest rookie to land a nine-figure contract.”
Wetherholt now joins a broader wave that already includes Colt Emerson, Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle, and others. Seattle’s extension with Emerson came before the organization had years of major league proof, and that was the whole point. These deals are becoming part of the new normal for elite young talent.
Initial reports say Wetherholt’s contract is for 8 years and $112.5 million, with incentives that could lift it to $132 million.
The 7th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft has been on a tear, hitting .267/.362/.411 with 13 home runs, 36 RBI and 9 stolen bases. And while many expected St.
Louis to be in rebuild mode, the Cardinals have instead put together a 48-44 season and sit third in the NL Central with an outside shot at a wild-card spot. Even if the postseason path is still a long one, they’ve been one of the biggest surprises in the league.
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Jerry Dipoto May Be Setting Up An Unusual Mariners Deadline Move
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The wrinkle is that the Mariners also have pieces other contenders want, particularly starting pitching depth and left-handed bats, which could make them both shoppers and suppliers in the same week. ESPNs Jeff Passan said those kinds of deals are complicated to build, and he pointed to the possibility of Seattle using its prospect capital in the right kind of swap, a setup that would fit the kind of deadline move Dipoto has been willing to chase before. [Read more 🡒]