The Mariners first major move at the trade deadline is an internal one.
Per Ryan Divish, Seattle Mariner starting first baseman Ty France has been placed on waivers.
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
Despite some hope of resurgence given his off-season time spent at Driveline, and the early season underlying data also providing hope for a return to adequate offensive performance, France has largely struggled in his 2024 season with the Seattle Mariners. With the trade deadline looming and Ty sporting a Savant page that is True to the Blue (derogatory) and an OPS on the season of .662, with the Mariners on the precipice of contention but in danger of falling off a cliff if they don’t improve their lineup’s offensive capabilities, this felt like an inevitable move.
By being placed on irrevocable outright waivers, there is still a chance France can stay with the organization, and perhaps even on the roster, but this move signals that the club is no longer looking to him as their everyday solution at first base.
A particular point of interest moving forward will be seeing what the club intends to do to replace his starting role for the rest of the season. Currently with the big league club is Luke Raley, who occasionally gets reps at first, and waiting in the minors is of course Tyler Locklear, who already made his big league debut earlier in the season. There is of course also the trade market, but for now it will have to remain to be seen what corresponding moves the Mariners make, and where France’s ultimate destination from this move will be.
