The Yankees have opened the door on Oswaldo Cabrera, and the Mariners should be paying close attention.
New York designated Cabrera for assignment to clear room for Clarke Schmidt’s return, according to Patrick Donnelly of MLB.com. For Seattle, that creates a clean chance to chase the kind of depth piece this roster has badly lacked during its disastrous 2026 season.
That need has been impossible to miss. The Mariners have been leaning on Weston Wilson, Buddy Kennedy, Connor Joe and Brock Rodden, with Leo Rivas also in the mix at times.
No one is pretending that’s a satisfying answer, and the numbers back up the frustration: those five have combined for a -0.9 bWAR this season. If Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander want to change the mood around the front office, adding better depth has to be part of the fix.
Cabrera fits that profile. The 27-year-old never quite locked down a long-term role in New York, but he still logged 223 regular-season games for the Yankees in 2023 and 2024. His 2024 season was the one that really stood out, when he hit .247 with eight home runs and 36 RBI and finished with a 1.3 bWAR.
He also brings the kind of versatility teams covet. Cabrera has played every position in the majors except catcher, which makes him a natural fit for a roster looking for coverage and flexibility. He’s a switch-hitter too, and better from the right side, which is why he can be viewed as a potential natural partner for Brendan Donovan.
The raw production is part of the appeal, but so is the way he’s carried himself. Cabrera became a favorite with teammates and fans in New York, and that reputation only grew this year even though he appeared in just three games for the Yankees. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he hit .288 with a .790 OPS over 122 games.
There’s also a Seattle connection here. Cabrera broke his ankle in a game against the Mariners last May and had to be taken off the field in an ambulance. It was a frightening moment, and it also underscored the kind of player he is.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone put it plainly:
"I feel like I’m blessed to have a lot of guys on this team I just admire and respect and love doing the job with on a daily basis. And Oswaldo’s right there at the top of that list. Just how he goes about things, how he treats people, the teammate he is."
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It has not been one issue, either. The offense has lagged, the defense has been just as shaky, and Seattles Fielding Run Value sits at the bottom of the majors, a blunt reflection of how often the Mariners have given games away. Even the clubs biggest names, including Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodrguez, have not delivered the kind of second-half push the team needed, which is why Gilberts frustration lands with extra force as the season winds toward an ugly finish. [Read more 🡒]