Inside The Pinstripes

Mariners Sign Former Yankees First-Round Pick to Minor League Deal

Seattle is taking a chance on former first-round pick Ian Clarkin, who is still striving to make his MLB debut one decade after he was drafted by the Yankees.

Max Goodman

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The first round of the 2013 MLB Draft ended with back-to-back compensation picks for the Yankees. 

First, New York selected an outfielder by the name of Aaron Judge with the No. 32 pick. One decade later, Judge was named the 16th captain in franchise history after a record-setting season, signing a $360 million contract to wear pinstripes for the rest of his career. 

New York's next pick didn't exactly pan out. In fact, the player that the Yankees picked with the No. 33 selection to finish out that first round is still striving to make his MLB debut 10 years later. 

Left-hander Ian Clarkin signed a minor league contract with the Mariners late last month. He was assigned to Seattle's Double-A affiliate (the Arkansas Travelers) on Friday.

Clarkin, 27, has pitched a total of 477 innings since he was drafted by the Yankees in 2013. He reached Triple-A for the first time last year, appearing in 17 games with Triple-A Albuquerque (in the Rockies' system), posting a 8.77 ERA in 51.1 frames. He was ranked as the Yankees' No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline back in 2015.

New York parted ways with Clarkin after he spent four years within the organization. The lefty was traded to the White Sox in July of 2017, part of the seven-player swap that sent third baseman Todd Frazier and relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to New York. Chicago also acquired right-hander Tyler Clippard and outfielders Blake Rutherford and Tito Polo in the deal.

Clarkin isn't the only player the Yankees picked in the first round in 2013 that wasn't able to make it to the big leagues. New York picked third baseman Eric Jagielo with the No. 26 pick in that same draft. The Notre Dame product made it to Triple-A with the Reds in 2017, two years after he was traded to Cincinnati in a deal that also included closer Aroldis Chapman. Jagielo last played for the Marlins' Double-A affiliate in 2018.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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