Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher elects free agency

Lawrence, 37, was DFA'd over the weekend in what has become an extremely familiar pattern for him and the Mariners.

He's been shuttled between Tacoma and Seattle all throughout the 2025 campaign so far with multiple trips to the waiver wire in between stints, utilized effectively as a 41st member of the 40-man roster who can be called upon when the Mariners need an extra arm before being cut loose and placed on waivers once he's provided some length out of the bullpen.

It's an unusual role, but he's done fairly well in it this year. Lawrence has a 4.08 ERA and 4.09 FIP across 17 2/3 innings of work, almost all of which came as a member of the Mariners save one short stint with the Blue Jays where he allowed three runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings of long relief work.

The arrangement has allowed Lawrence to find his first big league opportunities since 2023, when he struggled to a 6.59 ERA in 27 innings of work for the Cardinals out of the bullpen.

That was the only time in his career he donned a major league uniform other than those of the Blue Jays and Mariners, but his 96 2/3 innings in the majors prior to that time in St. Louis were largely more of the same as he pitched to a 6.80 ERA and 5.31 FIP in 44 appearances between 2017 and 2022.

Lawrence is now a free agent and able to sign with any of the league's 30 clubs, though it wouldn't be a surprise if he finds himself re-signing with the Mariners on a fresh minor league deal within the next few days to restart the cycle between Triple-A and the majors Seattle brass seem content to continue pushing him through.

It's an unequivocal win for Lawrence, who collects big league service time and salary even when he's in DFA limbo or on the waiver wire.

That means this process has allowed him to collect a healthy portion of the league minimum salary to this point in the season and more than a month of big league service time.

Will somebody other than the Blue Jays and Mariners sign Casey Lawrence to a minor-league contract?

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