The Seattle Mariners made the first big splash of free agency on Friday.

The Mariners were reported to be finalizing a five-year deal with first baseman Josh Naylor, which would keep him on the team through 2030. The contract is pending a physical, which will take place 

Not even hours later, Seattle announced another move that will help add to the pitching depth at the minor league level.

The Mariners announced on their official account on "X" they acquired left-handed pitcher Robinson Ortiz from the Los Angeles Dodgers in return for right-handed hurler Tyler Gough.

Ortiz was added to the M's 40-man roster, which is now at 39 players.

The 25-year-old Ortiz was signed by Los Angeles as an international free agent on June 2, 2017, out of the Dominican Republic.

Ortiz didn't advance past High-A ball until this season. He spent 2017-18 in the Arizona and Dominican rookie ball leagues. He spent 2019 and '21 in High-A and was out 2022-23 with Tommy John surgery.

Ortiz returned in '24 in Single-A ball. This season, he was promoted all the way to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets.

Across 48 appearances (one start) in High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, Ortiz posted a 2.73 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 59.1 innings pitched.

Gough, 22-years-old, was picked by Seattle in the ninth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of high school. He made his professional debut in 2023 and played with the Single-A Modesto Nuts from '23-24. He was out all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Before Gough got hurt, he posted a 4.33 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 95.2 innings pitched across 23 starts in 2024.

Both pitchers are on the younger side and have dealt with sustained injuries that have halted their respective progressions and developments, which makes it difficult to see what the value of either could be.

The Mariners struggled to find left-handed bullpen help outside of Gabe Speier in 2025. They eventually acquired southpaw Caleb Ferguson from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline to pair with Speier.

At worst, Ortiz could be another lefty arm Seattle can get a look at in spring training before finalizing the relievers for Opening Day in 2026.

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