
With just six days to go until Opening Day, the Seattle Mariners continue to trim the roster.
On Friday, the Mariners sent left-handed pitcher Jhonathan Diaz and right-handed pitcher Dane Dunning down to minor league camp. They also sent slugging outfielder Brennen Davis down as well.
None of these players are on the 40-man roster, but that doesn't mean they can't eventually churn upwards to the big-league level.
Here's what you need to know about the situation for each:
Now 29 years old, Diaz is a five-year veteran of the Los Angeles Angels and Mariners. He's made six total appearances for Seattle in the last two years, pitching to a 4.09 ERA (one start).
He provides the team solid depth in the minor leagues, going 11-6 with a 4.15 ERA for Tacoma a season ago. He's thrown three scoreless innings for the Mariners at spring training, but he did not pitch at all for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, so he's clearly not built up yet this spring. Once he's all settled, he'll head back to Tacoma, presumably.
The 31-year-old Dunning was a first-round pick of the Washington Nationals in the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox along with Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez in 2017 for outfielder Adam Eaton and made his debut with Chicago in 2020. He made just seven appearance for Chicago before getting dealt to Texas for Lance Lynn in the offseason before the 2021 campaign.
Dunning went 5-10 for the rebuilding Rangers in 2021, pitching to a 4.51 ERA, and then he went 4-8 in 2022 with a 4.46 ERA.
He turned a corner in 2023, going 12-7 with a 3.70 ERA in 35 games (26 starts), helping the Rangers win the World Series over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2024, he went just 5-7 with a 5.31 ERA and he made only 12 appearances in 2025 between the Rangers and Atlanta Braves, going 0-0 with a 6.97 ERA.
He played for Team Korea at the WBC, giving up two earned runs in three innings. He's given up three earned runs in 3.1 innings for the Mariners this spring and presumably also needs more time to build up. Once he does, he'll also go to Tacoma.
A former top 100 prospect, Davis is now 26 years old. He's dealt with a plethora of injuries in his career, having never played more than 100 games in a minor league season. He hits the ball exceptionally hard and hit .353 this Cactus League season. He may play a role on this roster at some point, especially if Victor Robles struggles or gets injured.
Seattle Mariners center fielder Brennen Davis (78) reacts after striking out against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Sloan Park. Rick Scuteri-Imagn ImagesRemember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!