Mariners claim LHP Nick Margevicius to add depth for starting rotation

During the Mariners’ pre-spring training press conference Thursday, general manager Jerry Dipoto spoke on the importance of having starting pitching depth. A day later, his team added some.

Marco Gonzales ready to lead young Mariners pitching staff

The Mariners have claimed left-handed finesse pitcher Nick Margevicius (pronounced mar-GAH-vih-chuss) from the San Diego Padres and designated relief pitcher Reggie McClain for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Margevicius, 23, made his major league debut out of spring training in 2019, starting 12 games and appearing in 17 total for San Diego despite not having pitched above High-A before his MLB call-up. He went 2-6 with a 6.79 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 42 strikeouts and 19 walks over 57 innings with the Padres. He also made 12 starts for Double-A Amarillo last year, going 4-4 with a 4.57 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 53 strikeouts and 13 walks in 69 innings.

The Padres selected Margevicius in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Rider University in New Jersey.

The Mariners also made a smaller addition on Thursday, as it was reported Seattle had agreed to sign switch-hitting utility player Alen Hanson to a minor league deal. Hanson, 27, has a career .232/.266/.368 slash line over four MLB seasons split between the Pirates, White Sox, Giants and Blue Jays. He has 12 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 261 games in the majors. Hanson has played every position on the field except for pitcher and catcher, with the majority of appearances coming at second base (89 games) or in the outfield (64).

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