Seattle Mariners first baseman Ty France was taken aback on Monday when he discovered that the Mariners had placed him on waivers.
The Mariners decided to put France on irrevocable outright waivers on Sunday. The 30-year-old has been struggling this season, hitting .223 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs over 88 games. His on-base percentage stands at .312 and his slugging percentage at .350.
“I was a little caught off guard,” France remarked before the Mariners’ game against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. “But I understand it’s a business at the end of the day. I haven’t been performing at my best, so anything could happen.”
France remains on the Mariners’ active roster for their game against the Angels. Though he wasn’t in the starting lineup, he could still be called upon to play.
Major League Baseball teams have 48 hours to claim France and add him to their roster, taking on the remainder of his one-year, $6.775 million contract. If he clears waivers, the Mariners could assign France to Triple-A Tacoma or keep him on the active roster. As a player with over five years of MLB service time, France can decline a Triple-A assignment and become a free agent. If he chooses free agency, the Mariners would continue to pay his salary, while any team that signs him would pay him the prorated major league minimum salary.
France had been a standout offensive player since joining the Mariners from San Diego in a midseason trade in 2020. He was an All-Star in 2022, hitting .274 with 20 home runs and 83 RBIs. However, his performance has declined over the past two seasons, casting doubt on his future.
“I think he’s handling it as well as he can,” Mariners manager Scott Servais commented. “Ty is a professional. He has played a lot of great baseball for us over the years, playing a key role in our lineup. But, you know, these things happen. It’s part of the business.”
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