Mariners did not tender three relievers before Friday’s deadline

The Seattle Mariners announced Friday that they have offered contracts to 31 of their 34 eligible players. The three players who did not receive contract offers are RHP Gregory Santos, RHP Trent Thornton and LHP Tayler Saucedo, meaning each player is now a free agent. All players who have not yet accumulated the service time necessary to reach arbitration will be automatically retained at the minimum adjacent rate offered by the league. Those in arbitration will either reach an agreement before the Jan. 8 negotiation deadline, or they will formally enter arbitration and have their contract determined by a judge if the team cannot bring them to an agreement.

It was already known that Saucedo was leaving. The homegrown lefty had some strong moments for Seattle in 2023 and 2024, but struggled mightily in 2025 and found himself relegated to Triple-A Tacoma amid a loss of speed and effectiveness. The 32-year-old is a candidate for a minor league contract for any club looking for left-handed depth.

Thornton had a similar path, joining the M’s from Toronto also in 2023, and finding his footing as a workhorse in the pen in 2024. He pitched in nearly half of Seattle’s games a season ago, posting a 3.61/3.47 ERA/FIP in 72.1 innings over 71 games. His workload caught up with him in 2025, when his speed slowed due to injuries, heatstroke, and ultimately a horrific Achilles tendon injury that sidelined him for a year. Thornton, who achieved clubhouse mascot status, kept his spirits up as he toured the dugout, bullpen and field at the end of the season with the M’s, his jersey carried by his teammates on the road. The 32-year-old right-hander delivered one of the most charming moments of the season, riding around the bases on his scooter to the jubilation of teammates and fans amid celebrations of Seattle’s playoff-clinching victory over the Colorado Rockies. He will look for a club willing to host the completion of his rehabilitation process, probably also with a minor league contract.

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The latest is Santos, the Chicago White Sox’s unfortunately failed acquisition at the expense of RHP Prelander Berroa and OF Zach DeLoach. I’ll spare you the angst: Berroa struggled in 2024 with a continued demonstration of a walk pace beyond what was sustainable, then unfortunately suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in early 2025. DeLoach also debuted in 2024, but didn’t get a second look in 2025, before injuries and an unimpressive performance kept him with Triple-A Charlotte for the entire season. Santos, unfortunately, had one of the most ignominious performances of the M season in his short time in the bigs. The 26-year-old failed to record a strikeout in eight appearances, walked eight and threw a pair of wild pitches. He struggled to show improvement in Tacoma, going on the disabled list once again and missing the zone more than he missed the bats by many degrees. Hopefully health awaits the right-handers and, with it, a new beginning.