The saga of veteran pitcher 2025 season continues to twist and turn in unpredictable fashion. The 37-year-old right-hander has once again found his way back to the Seattle Mariners organization, re-signing with the team on a minor league contract after a short and turbulent stint with the Toronto Blue Jays.
This marks yet another chapter in what has become a chaotic season for him, who has now been designated for assignment (DFA’d) four times in less than two months—including three times by Seattle alone. Remarkably, it’s still only May.
He originally signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in November and began the 2025 season with Triple-A Tacoma. He was quickly called up to the majors and made a three-inning relief appearance against the Houston Astros on April 9. That outing sparked a wild series of roster moves.
Just five days later, on April 14, he was DFA’d by the Mariners. He elected free agency but quickly re-signed with Seattle and returned to Tacoma—though he never actually pitched there before being recalled to the big-league club again. He made two appearances out of the bullpen during the team’s trip to Toronto on April 18 and 19, only to be DFA’d once more.
After yet another brief free agency period, he re-signed with the Mariners and returned to Tacoma. But once again, the Mariners needed arms in their bullpen, and Casey Lawrence was summoned for a long-relief appearance against the Miami Marlins on April 25, throwing five innings. As expected, that extended outing made him expendable again—and, predictably, he was DFA’d.
This time, the Blue Jays swooped in, claiming Lawrence off waivers on April 28. He pitched one game for Toronto, allowing three earned runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Red Sox on April 29. And, yes—you guessed it—he was DFA’d again, his fourth time this season.
To date, Lawrence’s 2025 MLB numbers include five relief appearances totaling 12 2/3 innings with a 4.97 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. In Triple-A, he’s made two starts, tossing 10 1/3 innings with a 4.35 ERA and 1.55 WHIP.
Before this turbulent season, Lawrence hadn’t pitched in the majors since his 2023 stint with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he appeared in 15 games. He’s no stranger to the Mariners or the Blue Jays, having pitched for both clubs in previous years—including stops in Seattle in 2017 and 2018 and Toronto in 2017 and 2022.
While Lawrence isn’t a headliner, he remains a valuable depth piece—a swingman capable of handling long relief duties and spot starts when needed, particularly for teams dealing with unpredictable bullpen needs.
Meanwhile, Seattle made another small roster move this week, trading pitcher Luis F. Castillo to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations—a move that further adjusts their pitching depth chart ahead of the next homestand.
The Mariners are off on Thursday but will return to T-Mobile Park on Friday night to open a six-game homestand, beginning with a 6:40 p.m. matchup against none other than the Toronto Blue Jays. Seattle Sports will begin pregame radio coverage at 5:30 p.m.
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