Mariners sign RHP Chris Devenski to MLB deal; recall C Seby Zavala

At long last, Chris Devenski is a Mariner

It only took about a decade, but Chris Devenski is finally a Mariner. The most Mariner reliever to never actually be a Mariner, the seasoned righty has been rapidly moving through clubs since the Astros cut him loose in 2020: since then, he’s been with the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Angels, and most recently the Tampa Bay Rays, who DFA’d Devenski back on the 25th and then DFA’d him when no other clubs were interested. The Mariners signed Devenski to an MLB deal and sent him to Tacoma, where he’ll serve as depth for a bullpen that’s been stretched to the breaking point this season by injuries and ineffectiveness.

That Devenski, now 33, represents an appealing addition to the crew currently in Tacoma is emblematic of how thin things are in the relief corps (or “pitching pile” as we like to refer to them around here). Devenski’s xSLG of .547 is in the bottom 1% in MLB, and opponents are squaring him up often; he’s also walking more batters than he ever has—perhaps due to the fact that the Rays have him throwing his changeup more often than his four-seamer. An MLB-experienced reliever provides an additional safety net in Tacoma and balances out the unseasoned crew in Arkansas, but unless the Mariners have some secret sauce they plan to sprinkle on Devenski, he’ll likely remain in a “break glass in case of emergency” role in Tacoma.

In addition to signing Devenski, the Mariners recalled catcher Seby Zavala to provide some insurance in case Mitch Garver has to miss time as he deals with a sore wrist after being hit by a pitch in Sunday’s game. X-rays were negative, but Scott Servais described Garver as being “sore” and he’s being held out of tonight’s game even after yesterday’s off-day to give the pain time to subside. To make room for Zabala, the Mariners returned lefty Jhonathan Díaz to Tacoma, where he’ll wait until the Mariners need another depth arm.