Mariners have signed free agent reliever Carl Edwards Jr.
Former National League reliever Carl Edwards Jr. is the latest addition to the Seattle Mariners’ roster and bullpen.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported a week ago the Mariners had signed the 28-year-old free agent to a one-year, $950,000 contract with up to $500,000 in incentives. The club confirmed the deal Wednesday morning.
“Carl has a great arm,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “It’s big velocity. He’s got big spin on the breaking ball. In 2017 and 2018 he really did a great job in a leverage position for a playoff team. ... He still has a lot of those same ingredients that led him to what he (was) able to do over those two seasons.”
Edwards has spent much of his major-league career with the Cubs after debuting the final month of 2015. He was traded to the Padres at the July deadline last summer and elected free agency earlier this month after the Padres outrighted him to Triple-A.
He posted a 1-1 record and 8.47 ERA in 22 relief appearances between Chicago and San Diego last season, allowing 16 earned runs with 19 strikeouts and 13 walks across 17 innings. He bounced up and down from Triple-A with both clubs, and spent multiple stints on the injured list in the most troubling statistical season of his five-year career.
Edwards has a much more promising career record of 9-8 and 3.58 ERA across 194 relief appearances and 236 strikeouts to 100 walks in 176 innings, and had a 3.06 career ERA entering the 2019 season.
“He’s a pretty significant bounce-back candidate for us,” Dipoto said.
Edwards was drafted by the Rangers in the 48th round in 2011 as a high schooler out of South Carolina.
Edwards is the third pitcher the Mariners have picked up in less than two weeks, joining right-handed starter Kendall Graveman, who signed last Tuesday, and versatile left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr., who was acquired in a trade with the Yankees last Monday.
The Mariners’ 40-man roster is at 39 players with Edwards’ addition.
This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 10:29 AM.
