The Mariners and the right-hander Matt Bowman they have reunited for another minor league deal. Selected for free agency a few days ago but has now joined the Tacoma Rainiers, he threw a scoreless inning yesterday.
Bowman, 33, has been on a roll this year. He started with the Twins on a minor league contract and was listed on that team's roster in mid-April. After just two weeks with the Twins, he was designated for assignment and sent to the Diamondbacks on a cash deal. After three weeks as a Serpent, he was reassigned again, this time removing the waiver and choosing to work for free. He then received a minor league contract with the Mariners and was selected to their roster shortly thereafter. But just days after that, he was reassigned and eventually reassigned to free agency.
Through all of that work, Bowman has thrown 15 major league innings for three different teams with a 5.40 earned run average. His 15.2% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate are both low but he kept the ball down at a solid 46.8% clip.
Injuries kept Bowman out during the 2020-22 season, with recovery from Tommy John surgery accounting for much of that absence. He came back last year and was able to put up decent results in Triple-A. He threw 58 2/3 innings at that level while in the Yankees system last year and has thrown nine innings at Triple-A this year. Putting those stats together, he has a 3.46 ERA, a lot of ground balls and a 23.5% strikeout rate, though his 11.1% walk rate is a tad on the high side.
That made him end up looking limited in the big teams, last year and this year. However, he completed his final season with the Yankees in 2023, which is why he has been in DFA limbo several times this season.
The Mariners have four relievers on the injured list, with Gregory Santos, Matt Brash, Jackson Kowar again Gabe Speier everything on the shelf. Brash and Kowar both had Tommy John surgery earlier this year and are out for the season. The M's also only have 38 players on their 40-man roster right now and can call upon Bowman again whenever the relief corps is taxed and they need a new arm.
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