Mariners designate former first-round pick for assignment

The Mariners announced that they designated right-hander Ryan Jensen for assignment. The M’s needed an extra roster spot after acquiring right-hander Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala in exchange for third baseman Eugenio Suárez.

The timing from the M’s is unfortunately impolite, as Jensen’s 26th birthday is Thursday. The Mariners claimed him off waivers from the Cubs in August but kept him on optional assignment. Between the two clubs, he tossed 64 1/3 innings in the minors on the year, split between Double-A and Triple-A. He had a 5.32 earned run average over that time, striking out 25.1% of opponents but giving out walks at an alarming rate of 17.4%.

Despite a rough 2023 campaign, Jensen could garner interest from other clubs. He is a former first-round pick, selected 27th overall by the Cubs in 2019. Walks have been an issue for him since then, but he’s generally gotten good amounts of strikeouts and ground balls. He still has a couple of option years, and some club with an roster spot could perhaps try to help him better harness his stuff while keeping him in the minors.

The M’s will have a week to try to work out a trade or pass Jensen through waivers. He doesn’t have three years of service time or a previous career outright, meaning he would have to stick with the M’s if he cleared waivers, though without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.