Seattle Mariners sign Zach Pop

According to Gallagher a family member close to Pop said he reported to Seattle's minor-league affiliate in Peoria Arizona on a rehab assignment (elbow). 24 other teams reached out to Pop according to Gallagher.

Pop, 28, has pitched for the Marlins and Blue Jays throughout his four-year MLB career. In that time, he has a 4.45 ERA and 3.94 SIERA across 155 2/3 innings of work. He was electric after Toronto acquired him at the 2022 trade deadline, pitching to a 1.89 ERA in 17 appearances down the stretch.

However, he has struggled at the big league level in each of the past two seasons, pitching to a 5.81 ERA in 73 total appearances. His 4.31 SIERA is better but still not especially promising.

The righty is a groundball pitcher who does not miss many bats. His home run rate over the past two years (1.89 HR/9) is far too high for a pitcher who also issues his fair share of walks.

To make matters worse, Pop was set to begin the season on Toronto's injured list with elbow discomfort that arose this spring.

The Blue Jays released reliever Pop after designating him for assignment in late March, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He cleared waivers, and became a free agent.

Pop lost his 40-man roster spot as part of the Opening Day shuffle. Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling noted in mid-March that Pop had come down with elbow inflammation during Spring Training and would have begun the regular season on the injured list.

Injured players cannot be placed on outright waivers, so the DFA meant he'd be released unless the Jays found a trade partner.

The Canadian-born righty joined the Jays at the 2022 deadline in a trade with Miami. He turned in a 1.89 ERA in 17 appearances down the stretch. While he made a strong first impression, Pop has struggled over the last two years.

He gave up 11 runs in 13 2/3 innings in 2023 and was tagged for a 5.59 ERA over a career-high 58 appearances last season. Pop got ground-balls at a strong 54.6% clip but only managed a 15.8% strikeout rate. When opponents were able to elevate the ball, they found success.

He surrendered nine homers in 48 1/3 frames - a rate of 1.68 longballs per nine innings.

Pop had made seven Spring Training appearances before the elbow issue. He allowed five runs (four earned) across 6 2/3 innings despite eight strikeouts.

He wasn't expected to face a long-term absence, as imaging didn't reveal any structural issues.