By james art 
The Seattle Mariners have made a move that is the telltale sign that the offseason has officially begun: their 40-man roster has been reset.
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Four players were added to the 40-man roster, the team announced Monday afternoon, including three who were previously on the 60-day disabled list. The various injured lists are inactive during the offseason, so all injured players must remain on the 40-man roster instead of during the winter.
Here are the announced additions to Seattle’s 40-man roster:
• Pitcher Blas Castano optioned to Triple-A Tacoma
• Pitcher Matt Brash has been reinstated from the 60-day disabled list
• Pitcher Jackson Kovar has been reinstated from the 60-day disabled list
• Infielder/outfielder Sam Haggerty has been reinstated from the 60-day disabled list
Castano, 26, is the only roster addition who was healthy in 2024, appearing in 29 games between the Mariners’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. Originally an international free agent signed by the New York Yankees in 2018, the right-hander has appeared in 112 minor league games, including 83 starts, and has a 24-35 career record with a 4.28 ERA.
Brash and Kovar both missed the entire 2024 MLB season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Haggerty appeared in eight games for the Mariners in 2024, but saw his season end due to a torn right Achilles suffered while trying to catch the wall while playing center field for Triple-A Tacoma in May.
It’s also worth noting that there is no indication of the status of veteran outfielder Mitch Haniger, whose contract includes a $17.5 million player option through the 2025 season. The deadline for players and teams to exercise or decline options is five days after the conclusion of the World Series (which was last Thursday, making the deadline Monday).
There was another contract option tied to the Mariners, which was a club option on second baseman Jorge Polanco, which Seattle announced last week it had declined.
Free agency
With the offseason beginning Monday afternoon, Polanco, first baseman Justin Turner and relief pitcher Yimi Garcia are already entering free agency.
Related: Important dates for the Mariners offseason
Seattle had no players eligible to extend qualifying offers, which was Monday’s deadline. A total of 13 players have reportedly extended the $21.05 million qualifying offer on a 2025 contract, including former Mariners outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (Los Angeles Dodgers). Players have until November 19 to accept or reject a qualifying offer.
Gold and silver for Cal?
The morning after Cal Raleigh won his first Gold Glove, he was named a finalist Monday for the American League Silver Catcher. The other three finalists are Houston’s Yanier Diaz, Oakland’s Shay Langeliers and Kansas City’s Salvador Perez.
Pair of Mariners win American League Gold Glove awards
Raleigh slashed .220/.312/.436 for a .748 OPS with 34 home runs and 100 RBI in 2024. He led all MLB catchers in homers for the third consecutive year and had the highest fWAR (5.4) and bWAR (4.6 ) among AL catchers.
If Raleigh wins the Silver Slugger, he will join Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro Suzuki and Bret Boone as Mariners to win the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove in the same year.
The Silver Slugger Awards will be revealed during an MLB Network telecast at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, November 12.
The Silver Sluggers have been awarded after each MLB season since 1980 to recognize the best offensive players at each position in both the American League and National League. Each MLB manager, as well as three coaches from each team, vote on the awards.
By the way, Raleigh was a guest on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Monday afternoon. Listen to an excerpt of the conversation below.
“I’d say it was a fun 24 hours.” 🔱
M Cal Raleigh catcher shares his reaction to winning first Gold Glove in #sailors history with @WymanAndBob. pic.twitter.com/M6tZUqo5Wm
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) November 4, 2024
More about the Seattle Mariners
• Three Mariners hitters are set to target this offseason
• There is one key piece the Mariners are missing in their bullpen
• Dryer: Why ‘Who is the Mariners’ best pitcher?’ is a great question
• Lefko: Mariners’ snub reveals what’s wrong with Gold Glove process
• Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners used someone else’s glove en route to a Gold Glove