The Seattle Mariners revealed on Tuesday that they have added two familiar names to their organizational depth chart, inking first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe and left-handed pitcher Jhonathan Díaz to minor league contracts. Each player will be invited to take part in major league spring training, giving them an opportunity to compete for roles with the big league club during camp.
Díaz, who had been removed from the Mariners’ 40-man roster and outrighted last week, briefly opted to test the open market as a free agent. However, his time away from the organization was short-lived, as he has now rejoined Seattle under a new minor league agreement.
Connor Joe, now 33 years old, split a brief stint in the majors last season between the San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds. His time at the big league level in 2025 was limited, totaling only 42 plate appearances. In that small sample, he struggled to make much of an offensive impact.
Still, his larger body of work from 2021 through 2024 paints a more encouraging picture of his overall production. During that four-year span, Joe compiled a .244 batting average, a .339 on-base percentage, and a .395 slugging percentage, resulting in a 99 wRC+, which places him essentially at league-average offensive production.
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Over the course of 1,566 plate appearances with the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates in those seasons, he accumulated 35 home runs, 82 doubles, and nine triples. He also demonstrated a disciplined approach at the plate, drawing walks at an 11.2% clip while striking out 21.6% of the time.
Although Joe’s recent major league opportunities were scarce, he spent the majority of last season playing in Triple-A. Unfortunately, his performance there did not stand out in a positive way. Across 205 plate appearances at that level, he produced a .225/.346/.306 slash line, numbers that fell short of expectations, particularly in the power department. While he continued to show patience by reaching base at a respectable rate, the lack of extra-base impact diminished his overall offensive value in the upper minors.
Historically, Joe has been more effective against left-handed pitching. Over 645 career plate appearances facing southpaws, the right-handed hitter owns a .247/.344/.401 batting line. By weighted runs created plus (wRC+), that production grades out slightly above league average in those matchups. That split makes him a potentially useful platoon option, particularly for a club looking to maximize production against left-handed starters and relievers.
Defensively, Joe offers versatility across multiple positions. He has logged 874 innings in right field, 944 innings in left field, and 1,089 innings at first base during his major league career. Advanced metrics have generally rated his work at first base and in left field as solid, suggesting that he can capably handle either role when called upon.
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That positional flexibility adds to his appeal as a depth piece. Earlier in the offseason, Seattle signed right-handed-hitting outfielder Rob Refsnyder, who projects to complement left-handed DH and corner outfielder Dominic Canzone in a potential platoon arrangement. Even so, Joe’s presence provides insurance in case Refsnyder is sidelined due to injury or if additional right-handed depth becomes necessary during the long season.
As for Jhonathan Díaz, the 29-year-old left-hander has seen intermittent major league action across parts of five seasons, though his cumulative big league experience remains limited. In total, he has thrown just 46 1/3 innings at the MLB level. Within that span, Díaz has recorded a 4.66 earned run average.
His strikeout and walk rates in those appearances highlight some of the challenges he has faced: he has struck out 33 of the 219 batters he’s faced, translating to a 15.1% strikeout rate, while issuing 27 walks, or 12.3% of opposing hitters. Those numbers indicate that command and swing-and-miss ability have been areas of inconsistency during his time in the majors.
However, Díaz has been a dependable contributor in Triple-A for Seattle over the past two seasons. In each of those campaigns, he made at least 22 starts and maintained an ERA in the low-4.00 range. While those figures may not be eye-catching, they reflect steady performance and durability at the highest minor league level.
For an organization, having a left-handed starter who can reliably take the ball every fifth day in Triple-A holds significant value, particularly when injuries inevitably arise during a 162-game major league schedule.
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At present, Díaz is not viewed as a strong candidate to secure a spot on the Mariners’ Opening Day roster. Instead, he projects as a depth option who will likely begin the season in Tacoma, serving as part of the Rainiers’ starting rotation. Nevertheless, circumstances could create opportunities for him as the year unfolds.
The recent UCL surgery undergone by right-hander Logan Evans has altered Seattle’s pitching depth outlook. Although Evans himself was likely ticketed for Triple-A to start the year, he ranked sixth on the Mariners’ internal rotation depth chart behind the established quintet of Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, and Bryce Miller.
With Evans sidelined, the pecking order for potential call-ups has shifted. Right-hander Emerson Hancock now appears to be first in line should an injury affect the big league rotation. Behind Hancock, however, the competition for innings includes Díaz, Casey Lawrence, and non-roster invitee Dane Dunning. In that context, Díaz’s familiarity with the organization and his track record of durability in Triple-A could work in his favor if Seattle needs additional starting options during the season.
Ultimately, both Connor Joe and Jhonathan Díaz represent low-risk additions designed to bolster organizational depth. By signing minor league contracts with invitations to spring training, they will have the chance to showcase their skills in front of the major league coaching staff.
For Joe, the goal will be to reestablish himself as a productive right-handed bat capable of contributing in a platoon role or filling in across multiple positions. For Díaz, the objective will be to demonstrate improved command and effectiveness, positioning himself as a reliable call-up option whenever the Mariners require pitching reinforcements.
These types of moves often fly under the radar compared to splashier free-agent signings or blockbuster trades, yet they play an important role in building a sustainable roster over the course of a grueling season. Depth can be the difference between weathering injuries and seeing a season unravel. In bringing Joe and Díaz back into the fold, Seattle is reinforcing its upper-level depth at both the corner positions and in the starting rotation, ensuring that experienced options are available should the need arise.
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