It’s time for one of our favorite annual traditions: going through the list of Mariners non-roster invites and spending entirely too much electronic ink on a lot of guys who will never suit up for the Mariners this season.
Left-Handed Pitchers:
Kade Anderson
Making one of the most highly anticipated organizational debuts in recent Mariner memory, Anderson jumps straight from the College World Series to big league Spring Training with the hopes of proving to the world his dominance will translate at the next level. Having
reportedly gained considerable strength over the course of the offseason, Anderson will look to show off his polished four pitch mix with some extra oomph behind it, hopefully continuing his run of dominance from last year into his first taste of game action as a professional. – ME
Austin Kitchen
The Kitchen is open once again for the Mariners, who brought back the six-foot lefty on a minors deal for another year thanks to intriguing characteristics such as “throw baseball with left hand.” A true crafty lefty reliever, Kitchen makes his 91 mph heater work for him with the old fastball-up/sinker-down while mixing in a sweeper, changeup, and curve (in that order of preference) to generate ground-ball outs and weak contact rather than strikeouts. He doesn’t strike people out, but he also doesn’t walk them, making him one of my preferred fringe relievers to watch in the late innings of a spring training game. -KP
Right-handed pitchers:
Charlie Beilenson
After a dominant start at Everett this year, the Mariners jumped the 2024 fifth-rounder to Double-A, where he continued to show himself to be absolutely allergic to issuing free passes. The six foot Beilenson is athletic on the mound and features a Sewald-esque release point. He’s not a hard thrower, with a fastball around 94, but he’s able to get swing and miss on the pitch due to its rise and he pairs that with a sharp slider and a changeup that also elicits whiffs. Beilenson won organizational Reliever of the Month honors in June after contributing to a combined no-hitter in Everett. Fun fact about Beilenson: he’s eligible for three countries in the WBC (USA, New Zealand, Israel). Keep an eye on Beilenson as a dark horse to crack the bullpen at some point this season. -KP
Tyler Cleveland
There’s been a tremendous dearth of weird in the Mariners bullpen for a while now, and Tyler Cleveland is looking to change that. Though “The Pile” has never been as exciting as it is at present, Cleveland’s submarine release and funky arsenal will pose a legitimate threat to break into the Mariner ‘pen this season. Dominating the minor leagues to the tune of a 0.87 ERA last season, Mariner fans should get acquainted with perhaps the best 87 mph sinker they’ll see all year. – ME
Nick Davila
The Mariners re-signed Davila, 27, to a minor-league contract this off-season with an invitation to spring training, which is why he’s here. Davila is more of a contact manager than a strikeout artist, a tough fit as a reliever; he also got a little walk-happy in Arkansas this year, which is a problem that will have to be tamped down. -KP
Randy Dobnak
It has been quite the arc for Dobnak – going undrafted in college, he signed with the Twins in 2017 off of YouTube videos of his outings for a shiny $500, and quickly rose through the ranks of the Minors, debuting in 2019 with a scintillating 2.90 FIP over 28.1 innings. On the back of a solid 2020, Minnesota signed him to a unique five-year, $9.25 million extension with club options and escalators galore. Sadly, injuries wreaked havoc on him – after 50.1 tough innings in 2021, Dobnak has appeared in just six Major League games since then, but with his low arm angle and sinker/slider pitch mix, it’s easy to understand why the M’s are bringing him aboard. He’ll serve as starting pitching depth in Tacoma, and I, for one, will be rooting for a fellow Old School RuneScaper’s success. -CD
Dane Dunning
Hey baby, I heard you like depth. How about depth and upside? How about depth, and upside, and prospect pedigree paired with big league experience? How about depth, upside, prospect pedigree, big league experience and rec specs? Have yourself a Dane Dunning, sweetheart. You deserve it. Seattle signed him as a free agent in January to nonexistent enthusiasm, save for Mikey Ajeto and Isabelle Minasian. Do with that combination what you will. A former first round pick, he won a World Series ring with the Rangers in 2023 and, like so many on that team, ‘23 was a career year for Dunning with 172 innings pitched (most as a starter), a 3.70 ERA and career-high strikeouts. It’s been downhill ever since, to the point where the Rangers traded him to Atlanta mid-season last year and they moved him into the bullpen fulltime. He’s a weird throwback of a pitcher; a glacially slow right-hander who survives by dipping into a bulging bag of tricks (pitch mix), but he’s been working out with Tread and is seemingly back up to his 2023 velo on his sinker (his best/most utilized pitch). I’m curious to see if they’ll tag him for long relief or, in light of the Logan Evans news, run him out again as a starter. I’ll be rooting for him either way. – IM
Casey Lawrence
Updating from last year: When the 2097 Western Landmass QA1 MechaMariners show up to colonized Mars for spring training, Jacob Nottingham Casey Lawrence will somehow still get an invite. -KP
Teddy McGraw
It’s only 30 minutes from Cooperstown’s Main Street to Oneonta. Home to the Southside Mall, the nearest movie theater, a beloved indie bookstore and a deli that’s a front for a cult, Oneonta is where you go if you’re living in Cooperstown and need (crave?) that unreplicable strip mall feeling. I’m being rude. It’s also home to Oneonta High School, which produced one of my favorite humans of all time, and also Teddy McGraw. A third round pick out of Wake Forest in the 2023 draft, McGraw has a tantalizing fastball (two-seam) and devastating slider but is also a two-time Tommy John surgery recipient plagued by injuries (anyone getting hints of eau de Woo, or is that just me?). When he’s healthy, he has some of the best stuff in the system (Max Ellingsen says so). Questions remain whether they’ll keep him as a starter, or attempt to preempt injury by moving him to the bullpen. – IM
P.S. Yes, his dad is Tim McGraw.
P.P.S. No, not that Tim McGraw.
Michael Morales
Every day, you sit on the riverside, one rock among a hundred thousand hundred thousand. Deer amble up to the water’s edge, nudging some of your older compatriots into the water with their light-stepping hooves. Lizards crawl upon others, basking in the sunlight briefly before scuttling off. Your exterior grows mossy as a storm rolls in, sending gales through the forest and crashing a mighty pine down upon the bed of you and your ancient companions. The river is diverted, flowing over you directly for the first time since the dinosaurs roamed. As the water courses faster you are jostled free at last, turned for the first time to glimpse your still-dry neighbor. It is Michael Morales, resolute and unchanged as the day he was formed. —JT
Gabe Mosser
Signed as a minor league free agent, Mosser is now 29 after being in the Padres’ and Phillies’ systems since he was a 27th-round pick in 2018. In all that time, he’s never posted an ERA below 4 in a stop of more than 30 innings. As happens for a lot of pitchers nearing the end of the line, he started playing with a knuckleball last year as a Hail Mary. So while I have very little expectation that he’ll be a meaningful contribution to the 2026 Mariners, I’ll definitely pay attention when he’s on the mound this spring just for the show. – ZAM
Michael Rucker
One day after the Mariners signed Michael Rucker (an extremely popular time to be born, shoutout to commenter Lou Seal), I turned 31. If I was a horse and I got a small stomachache now, they would shoot me. If I was a professional baseball player, they wouldn’t shoot me (yet), but they would sit me down in an upholstered rocking chair, hand me a thick glass of Ovaltine, laced with Ensure and ground up Benadryl, and speak patronizingly to me. I’m exaggerating. A little bit. Unfortunately for Rucker, I am not exaggerating enough. Currently 31, but playing in his age 32 season, the right-hander has amassed 123 innings in relief at the big league level (all for the Cubs), but did not play in organized baseball in 2025 after electing free agency in November 2024. An Auburn Riverside grad and one-time Gonzaga bulldog, this signing reeks of Tacoma depth. Or maybe I’m just losing my sense of smell in my old age. – IM
Ryan Sloan
I love trains. Gigantic, industrial locomotives? They get everything we want and need from here to there, while providing young artists a canvas and night owls distant ambiance and companionship. Slick, modern high speed rail? Don’t mind if I do spend my commute playing my Switch, reading a book, scrolling the articles comments of lookoutlanding.com. But if there is one train that puts my nerves on edge, it is the mighty, mercurial hype train. There is, in the most literal sense, nothing wrong with Sloan. Instinctive and industrious, Sloan’s debut season has him now as the most tantalizing M’s prep pitcher since Taijuan Walker. I strongly recommend reading some scouting reports on Walker at the time of his call-up if that seems like damning with faint praise. I’ll be surprised if Sloan gets significant play in main field games this spring, given how cautious the club was with him a season ago, but this is one of the most impressive young pitchers I’ve seen. Choo choo. –JT
Guillo Zuñiga
The scandal that got the newest writer for Baseball America banned for life from MLB employment changed the trajectory of a young Colombian flamethrower. Instead of Atlanta, Zuñiga inked a deal with the Dodgers, creeping his way up the ranks with peripherals that always seemed to outpace his results. Minor league free agency placed Zuñiga in the system of St. Louis, then later Anaheim, Philadelphia, and eventually Seattle. Triple-A will be the destination all but assuredly for a fourth straight season, seeking for the first time an ERA starting with a number less than 5. Increasingly groundball-enticing, the 27 year old will be looking to add to a big league tenure featuring 19.2 frames he’d like another go at. There’s not much… deception in Zuñiga’s snub-nosed delivery, but a shuffled pitch mix might make a difference. –JT
Infielders:
Michael Arroyo
A prospect frequently overshadowed by the likes of Colt Emerson, Arroyo has a legitimate chance to become a big leaguer during the 2026 season. With rumblings of a potential position change to left field, the now infielder brings an incredibly polished offensive profile to the table and has the looks of a bat-first run producer despite his shorter, stockier frame. The defense will be something to watch for over the course of Spring Training; if he can find a natural home somewhere on the diamond, Arroyo would immediately put himself on the big league radar. – ME
Colt Emerson
I have been big in on Colt Emerson for a long time, but spending time with him this past week at FanFest has absolutely turned me into a Colt Truther. It’s a wild comparison, but Colt reminds me a lot of Cal Raleigh as a prospect – someone whose hype doesn’t seem to match up with his performance in the minors. I think Colt, like Cole Young before him, suffers a little from the curse of the “well-rounded”: he doesn’t have the kind of flashy skills that inspire breathless social media posts; he just does everything really, really well. Perry Hill absolutely loves his defense, which kind of tells you all you need to know about it: it’s foundationally sound, mechanically clean, and looks effortless. After watching video back from last spring training, he added a toe tap this past season (more on this later) that’s helped him damage elite velocity better and after a rough adjustment period at Double-A, solved a lot of his own problems. We love a learner around here, and we love Colt Emerson. -KP
Brock Rodden
A fifth round pick in 2023, Rodden won that year’s Dominate the Zone competition, winning him an NRI invite to Spring Training in 2024. A strong season then earned a spot on his own merit last year. But every rocket needs a countdown, and multiple injuries kept resetting the Brocket Ship’s clock in 2025. He looked fine over 163 PAs with neither the atypically high BABIP or high strikeout rate being concerning over a sample that small. He’s looking to get back on track and earn a 40-man spot before he’s Rule 5 eligible this coming offseason. – ZAM
Carson Taylor
Perhaps lost in the shuffle after the Mariners re-signed Josh Naylor to ignite the Hot Stove, the Mariners picked up Taylor in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 Draft that closes up the annual Winter Meetings. Taylor, 26, was drafted out of Virginia Tech by the Dodgers in 2020, which gives him at least two characteristics desired by the Mariners (they love their Old Dominion-area prospects). A third characteristic emerges: Taylor walks a lot, doesn’t strike out excessively, and has some pop, although maybe not quite as much as you’d want in a first baseman. He’s here to fill the Tyler Locklear-shaped hole in your heart, albeit imperfectly. -KP
Will Wilson
Confession: I saved Will Wilson for last, and really intended to mail this wee blurb in. Unfortunately for my sleep schedule, but perhaps fortunately for the Mariners, Wilson doesn’t deserve that. The vaunted minds at r/ClevelandGuardians are split on him; some are thrilled he’s gone, others fear he may depart and become the next Ernie Clement. I suppose that’s the respect you get when you’re a former first round pick once cited as one of the top prospects in the draft, but also struck out 37.4% of the time in 91 plate appearances alongside a .051 ISO. He’s utility-ish; interesting-ish. I guess. – IM
Patrick Wisdom
Marco Gonzales’s BFF is back for another ride. The 34-year-old spent last season with the Kia Tigers, who are like the Yankees of the KBO, and proved that three true outcomes persist from Gwinnett to Gwangju. He did bash 35 homers, so if you’re at any games he’s playing in this spring, stake out a good spot on the berm. -KP
Outfielders:
Brennen Davis
Davis was a second round pick by the Cubs way back in 2018 and made it as high as 25 on Fangraphs’ top 100 prospects list in 2022. But he’s yet to make his MLB debut as injuries have derailed his minor league career. His Prospect Savant page is rather impressive. He makes a ton of hard contact and was the top player in AAA in pulling the ball in the air. But he’s also shown high chase and whiff rates that limit whatever projection remains. Every once in a while a guy like this figures it out… -RB
Jonny Farmelo
Raise your hand if you are super excited to watch a healthy Farmelo tear it up at spring training this year. Every hand should be up. Farmelo has one of the most tantalizing skillsets in the system, true five-tool potential, and this year could be the year he launches himself into one of the best prospects in baseball. Get your seat on the Melo Wagon early. -KP
My hand is up! My hand is so high up! It is also up in a way that gives ample space to Farmelo, so as not to create a raucous breeze that might unloose a garage sale flyer, that might tumble in the air towards him, that he might reach out to catch (Jonny Farmelo Hates Littering), that might give him a paper cut, that might become mysteriously infected, that might lay him up for 6-8 weeks or necessitate the amputation of his hand. – IM
Victor Labrada
Minor league aficionados will no doubt recognize Victor Labrada’s name, and the lefty outfielder has earned his first big league spring training invite since signing out of Cuba prior to the 2021 season. On the back of a high-walk, low-strikeout, low-power profile at the plate, Labrada has steadily climbed through each level of the Minors, getting his first taste of Triple-A last season. He also brings blazing speed to the table, swiping a combined 44 bases last year and 49 in 2024. While he can cover center field in a pinch, he’s more suited in a corner, getting the bulk of his time in Double-A and Triple-A last year in left field. Labrada is pretty far down the depth chart of Seattle’s outfielders and will be playing in his age-26 season, but if he can unlock a bit more game power, he could be an option the Mariners turn to if need be. -CD
Lazaro Montes
The haters will tell you that Montes’s poor contact metrics mean his prospect arrow is pointing down. The haters will tell you the swing and miss in his profile will keep him from getting to his 70 grade power. The haters will tell you his barely-passable defense in a corner spot limits him to a DH role in the bigs. The haters will become the waiters at Montes’s table of success, except not really because he’s such a nice guy he’d invite anyone to sit down and insist on serving them himself. -KP
Spencer Packard
Another spring, another year of writing about NRI invite Spencer Packard. Packard, now 28, has crossed the line from “older prospect” to “MiLB journeyman” and the hopes for a Ty France-type power breakout are starting to dim. Like France, Packard has never posted a minor-league wRC+ of below 100, thanks to a bone-deep unwillingness to expand the zone. Unlike France, Packard hasn’t come near a 20-homer campaign despite playing in some of the same bounce houses of the PCL. With little to offer defensively (he is an OFINO), there has to be some bump in the power production to find a way onto a big-league roster…at least, Seattle’s. -KP
Jared Sundstrom
Gualala, California is one of the most beautiful little enclaves in one of the most beautiful parts of the state. It’s a pass through for most pursuing the idylls of Mendocino county, with under 3,000 residents and nominal tourist draws. There’s rugged coast, and towering redwoods, and a river slicing through it all; it is the very best of the Northern California coast. Jared Sundstrom probably will not be the very best of the Mariners’ Spring Training, but he is also not tiny like his hometown. A veritable tank of an outfielder with the commensurate power and athleticism, the former Gaucho’s primary dings are his age and some mixed sentiments on plate discipline. If you’re on the backfields of Peoria and you watch a ball sail up, up, up, up and away, it just might be courtesy of Sundo. – IM
Utility:
Blake Rambusch
Leo Rivas should sue Rambusch for IP theft. The 26 year old will be in line for his first taste of Triple-A this year, in what could be a lengthy lid on his career unless the pint-size utility-man can unlock any power or truly blow things out of the water in another realm of the game. Rambusch’s last home run came in High-A Everett at the age of 23… in August of 2023. He’s missed bits of time in 2024 and 2025, but that’s over 170 games without leaving the yard. The hard-running Auburn University product is a menace on the bases and walks frequently, like Litleo, but a lot of folks hit in the minors like this and get bowled over in the bigs. It’s hard to make it work, and Rambusch will have to conquer Tacoma to get a chance to try. –JT
Catchers:
Josh Caron
After a strong debut run with the championship Nuts that had him ranked in our 2025 preseason Top 20, Caron took a huge step back at Everett this year. His calling card is his big right-handed power, but he didn’t even muster double-digit home runs in the friendly parks of the Northwest League. Meanwhile, his aggressive approach at the plate was exposed by A-ball pitchers, leading to him striking out just under a third of the time. Caron’s strength at present is his skill behind the dish, where he’s a good receiver and leader of a pitching staff, which earned him an NRI invite. ABC, Always Be Catching. -KP
Connor Charping
As a catcher, Charping would have been a lock to be invited to spring training anyway, but he also likely would have gotten there as a reward for the “control the zone” contest, coming very close to walking more than he struck out this year at AA. He also hit .300, although it’s a fairly empty .300; he’s hit all of two homers over his pro career since signing as an UDFA in July of 2022. Still, shiny number is shiny number, and ability to catch even at a basic level only burnishes it further–although his caught stealing numbers in Arkansas are pretty brutal this year (which might not be his fault! As is anything, it takes two.). -KP
Brian O’Keefe
Oh hey, it’s that guy, he’s back! -RB
Brian O’Keefe is 32. How have his knees not sued him for an OSHA violation yet? -KP
Nick Raposo
Nick Raposo returns to the Mariners after signing as a minor-league free agent last season. After a couple underwhelming turns at Triple-A, the Mariners let him get his feet under him as the primary catcher for the Arkansas Travelers this past season; he’ll compete for a job in Tacoma, and hopefully not anything more than that, this spring. -KP
Jakson Reetz
Someone asked me recently how I choose which 40 in 40s I write. “Why honey,” I replied, ignoring their mild alarm at the sudden emergence of a 1920s Hollywood starlet drawl and batting my eyelashes furiously. “I choose my 40 in 40s like I pick my NRIs. The less I know about them, the better.” Mouth ajar, I wink cartoonishly and take a hearty puff off my cigarette holder (the table’s butter knife). They look on, aghast.
(Jakson Reetz is a 30-year-old catcher drafted out of high school in 2014 with 17 big league plate appearances. As of this writing (8:43 p.m. on Tuesday, February 3 (sorry Kate)), Baseball Reference has his 2026 contract status as “Not Updated” and not his transaction section ends with being granted free agency in November 2025.) – IM
Luke Stevenson
A power-over-contact catcher from an ACC school? It worked the last time the Mariners tried! Stevenson spent 100 PAs destroying Modesto to the tune of a 154 wRC+ while walking more than he struck out. And he gets good reports on his receiving too. Catchers are hard to project because they have so much growth to do, but all arrows are pointing up for Stevenson since the Draft. In a system without a lot of guys in the middle tier, Stevenson’s one to watch. – ZAM
