Seattle Mariners Sign Longtime New York Yankee to Minor League Deal

The Seattle Mariners have inked infielder Didi Gregorius to a minor league deal, perhaps signaling the impending end of Kolten Wong's tenure in the organization.

The Seattle Mariners made an interesting move on Thursday afternoon, signing longtime New York Yankee infielder Didi Gregorius to a minor league deal.

World Baseball Classic Insider Shawn Spradling had the information on Twitter:

Per multiple sources in Mexico, Didi Gregorius has signed a minor league contract with the Mariners. He has 34 RBI and 11 HR (league lead) with a 1.208 OPS in 26 games with @AlgodonerosUL, and was scheduled to participate in the LMB Home Run Derby.

Per multiple sources in Mexico, Didi Gregorius has signed a minor league contract with the Mariners. 🇳🇱

He has 34 RBI and 11 HR (league lead) with a 1.208 OPS in 26 games with @AlgodonerosUL, and was scheduled to participate in the LMB Home Run Derby. pic.twitter.com/hiEBiIQXo5

— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) June 8, 2023

Certainly, those are good numbers for Gregorius out of Mexico, who we haven't seen on a big league field since 2022, when he played 63 games with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Before playing in Mexico, he represented the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic.

He has spent parts of 11 years in the major leagues with the Yankees (five years), Phillies (three), Diamondbacks (two) and Reds (one).

He's a lifetime .257 hitter who has hit 134 homers and driven in 530.

The signing of the 33-year-old could mean nothing, or it could start to signal the end of the Kolten Wong era in Seattle. Wong, acquired this offseason in a trade, has disappointed mightily. He's hit just .153 with a .246 on-base percentage. He has no home runs and only nine RBIs.

The team has been using Jose Caballero at second base in a lot of situations and he could form a platoon with Gregorius at that position, potentially. 

The Mariners are currently 30-31 on the season and will take on the Angels in Anaheim on Friday night at 9:38 p.m. ET.

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