The Mariners have kept working the waiver wire as free agency gets set to open, adding another pair of arms and bats while the roster picture starts to tighten.
Seattle claimed outfielder Grant McCray from the San Francisco Giants last week, then added right-hander Isaac Mattson from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. Those moves come as the club prepares for free agency to open officially at 2 PM PT today, Monday, November 2nd, and as the 40-man roster has to be trimmed back to a true 40 by the deadline. That means some players, including Logan Evans and Brennen Davis, will need spots found because the 60-day injured list does not exist during the offseason.
The additions are not headline-grabbers in the way October’s pickup of OF/1B Michael Toglia was, but they do fit a pattern. Seattle’s depth has not delivered the kind of production the organization has gotten from it in past years, so these are the kind of moves that can matter once the roster starts taking shape.
McCray brings defensive versatility, with the ability to cover all three outfield spots. The 25-year-old has had a rough go at the plate since reaching the majors in 2024, but the tools still jump off the page.
He runs hard, plays hard and hits the ball hard. His arm stands out, and so does his speed, both of which are traits Seattle has lacked in the outfield beyond Julio Rodriguez this past year.
There’s also a family connection that makes McCray a notable name. His father, Rodney McCray, played parts of three big league seasons and later coached for years. The elder McCray also left a memorable mark in the Pacific Northwest by running through the right field fence at Civic Stadium, now Providence Park, in Portland, OR while with the Vancouver Canadians in a brave-but-doomed chase after a fly ball.
For all the effort and athleticism, contact has been the issue for Grant McCray. He has a 12% barrel rate across 247 plate appearances in his big league career over the past three seasons, but he has also struck out nearly 40% of the time.
The Giants were willing to give the prep 87th overall pick from 2019 extended chances, and his minor league track record has been better than his major league results. Still, the bat-to-ball problem has been the thing holding him back.
Mattson arrives with a different profile. The 31-year-old right-hander was originally drafted by the Anaheim Angels of Orange County and was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 for Dylan Bundy.
He debuted with Baltimore, later spent time in indy ball and in the Minnesota Twins organization in the early 2020s, and eventually found his way back to the Pirates. Raised in Erie, PA and a University of Pittsburgh alum, he put together another strong minor league season in 2024 before finally sticking in 2025.
What makes Mattson interesting is the shape of his game. He works from a 6’2 frame with a fairly over-the-top delivery, and his four-seamer comes in at 93-96 with above-average ride when he locates it at the top of the zone.
He leans on that pitch heavily, using it more than 70% of the time. His slider and changeup have shown some promise too, and Seattle may see room to refine that mix after being burned in middle relief last season.
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