Former All-Star gets cut by Mariners

Aug 14, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Seattle Mariners hat in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners are prepared to move on from first baseman Ty France.

The Mariners on Sunday placed France on irrevocable outright waivers, according to Seattle Times reporter Ryan Divish. The move will allow all other 29 MLB teams to claim the 30-year-old infielder.

If France clears waivers, the Mariners will be able to send France to the minors. Given his service time, France would have the option to refuse outright assignment should he go unclaimed.

Ty France has been placed on irrevocable outright waivers. If a team claims him, he is theirs. If he clears, he is still with the Mariners and can be outrighted to the minors. Because of service time, he can refuse the outright assignment

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) July 22, 2024

France is in the midst of the worst offensive season of his career. In 88 games with the Mariners, France has batted .223 with an OPS of .662. Both marks are career lows for the six-year veteran.

France is two years removed from his 2022 All-Star season when he batted .274 with 20 home runs and 83 RBIs. However, France can’t be the only one to blame for the Mariners’ poor hitting numbers as a whole. Through 101 games, Seattle is collectively batting an MLB-worst .218 — somehow below the bottom-feeding Chicago White Sox.

The Mariners have sat atop the AL West for most of the season thanks in large part to their outstanding starting rotation. Seattle’s starters have posted an AL-best 3.34 ERA through Sunday’s contests. But with the Astros now jockeying with the Mariners for the division lead, Seattle appears open to tinkering with its roster.