Seattle Mariners Outright Bullpen Candidate to Minor Leagues

The Seattle Mariners have outrighted bullpen candidate Mauricio Llovera to Triple-A Tacoma, ending his chances of starting the year in the Seattle bullpen.

Per MLBTradeRumors:

The Mariners announced that right-hander Mauricio Llovera has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma. He has also been reassigned to minor league camp. It had not been previously reported that the righty was removed from the roster, so this will drop Seattle’s 40-man count to 39.

The 27-year-old Llovera is a native of Venezuela and has spent four years in the big leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox.

Between San Francisco and Boston last year, he went 2-3 with a 4.89 ERA in 30 games. Lifetime, he is 3-3 with a 5.80 ERA.

It's disappointing for Llovera that he couldn't make this bullpen, especially considering the injuries to both Matt Brash and Gregory Santos, which have them both on the injured list to start the season. However, if he stays in the Seattle system, he just may have a chance to contribute at somepoint this season.

Seattle's bullpen figures to have Andres Munoz as a lock, as well as Gabe Speier and Tayler Saucedo. Furthermore, Austin Voth and Trent Thornton seem to be in a good standing as well. The final few spots could consist of hard-throwing right-hander Carlos Vargas and veteran Collin Snider, as well as one wild card.

Seattle went 88-74 last season and missed the playoffs by 1.0 game. They finished third in the American League West.