Healy one of three players outrighted to Triple-A
SEATTLE -- Infielder Ryon Healy and right-handed relievers Chasen Bradford and Connor Sadzeck were outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday as the Mariners began their first offseason moves to clean up their 40-man roster.
The three all finished the season on the 60-day injured list and needed to either be added back to the 40-man roster by the end of this week or outrighted to the Minors.
Seattle’s 40-man roster is currently full, though several openings are expected once Félix Hernández and Arodys Vizcaíno become free agents, which occurs the day after the World Series ends. Vizcaino never pitched for Seattle as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he was included as part of a salary exchange in a deal with the Braves.
The Mariners are also unlikely to pick up a team option on Wade LeBlanc’s contract, which would make him a free agent as well.
Healy, who has more than three years of Major League service time, could decline the Minor League outright and immediately become a Major League free agent if he chooses.
Healy, 27, didn’t play the final four months of the season while dealing with back issues and underwent surgery on his right hip on Aug. 6 at Stanford University. He’s expecting to be 100 percent recovered by Jan. 1 and be full go for Spring Training in February, but the Mariners would have had to commit to going to salary arbitration with him if he’d been placed on the 40-man roster.
He’ll instead have the choice now of coming to camp on a Minor League deal or exploring his options elsewhere. Healy was acquired by the Mariners from the A’s to be their starting first baseman in 2018, then hit .237 with 16 doubles, seven home runs and 26 RBIs in 47 games with the Mariners last season while primarily filling in at third base for an injured Kyle Seager to start the season.
Bradford and Sadzeck are both recovering from Tommy John surgeries on their right elbows and likely will miss all of the upcoming season.
Bradford, 30, underwent surgery on Aug. 15 in New York. In 12 appearances for Seattle last season, he threw 16 2/3 innings and posted a 4.86 ERA in 12 appearances.
Sadzeck, 28, had surgery in Dallas on Oct. 2 after posting a 2.66 ERA in 20 relief appearances with Seattle following his April 1 acquisition from the Rangers.