PEORIA, Ariz. — The Seattle Mariners solved their Erasmo Ramirez dilemma Tuesday night by trading the right-handed pitcher to Tampa Bay for left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery.
Ramirez, 24, is out of options, but the Mariners had no place for him on their 25-man roster. That meant they either had to trade him or risk losing him on a waiver claim.
In contrast, Montgomery, 25, has options and is likely to start the season at Triple-A Tacoma. He was 10-5 with a 4.29 ERA last season in 25 starts at Triple-A Durham.
Montgomery was a supplemental first-round pick by Kansas City in 2008 and once viewed as that organization’s top pitching prospect. Baseball America ranked him among the game’s top-40 prospects from 2010-12.
He has yet to reach that potential and has never pitched in the big leagues. Montgomery is 42-47 with a 4.28 ERA in seven minor-league seasons.
The Rays acquired Montgomery as part of a seven-player trade on Dec. 9, 2012 that also netted outfielder Wil Myers and pitcher Jake Odorizzi and sent pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals.
Ramirez opened last season with the Mariners but spent much of the year at Tacoma. He is 7-12 with a 4.62 ERA in 47 games, including 35 starts, over parts of three big-league seasons.
Roster moves
The Mariners cleaned up their Rule XX (B) free agents by releasing left-handed pitcher Joe Saunders and outfielders Endy Chavez and Franklin Gutierrez from their minor-league contracts.
Saunders and Gutierrez then signed new minor-league deals that are not bound by the Rule XX (B) provisions. Chavez opted to become a free agent.
Right-handed pitcher Kevin Correia, who also qualified, was released Monday and chose to become a free agent.
The Rule XX (B) provision covers major-league free agents who sign minor-league contracts. They must be informed, five days prior to the start of the season, whether they will make the major-league roster.
If a qualifying player does not make the roster, he must be released or paid a $100,000 retention bonus and receive a June 1 opt-out clause in his minor-league contract.
Clubs often release such players and attempt to re-sign them to new minor-league deals that aren’t covered by the provision.
Smith update
Right fielder Seth Smith got another day to rest his sore ankle, but manager Lloyd McClendon insisted it’s not a long-term issue.
“He could have played (Monday),” McClendon said. “I didn’t want to take a chance. He rolled his ankle sliding into home. It was a little swollen to the bottom of the foot.
“He wasn’t going to play today (against a left-hander), so I thought it just made sense to give him two more days off.”
Zunino’s workload
Mike Zunino started again Tuesday — he leads all catchers this spring in innings played — but is slotted for a day off Wednesday when the Mariners play the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium.
“There were some things we wanted him to do this spring,” McClendon said. “Taking charge of the staff. Running that staff and getting them to do the things that he needs them to do in order to be successful.
“I think it’s taken the whole six weeks to get that out of the staff. That’s why he’s played as much as he’s played.”
Zunino contends he enjoys the heavy workload.
“I’ve been in there six, seven innings,” he said, “but it’s been multiple days, and I think that’s the best thing because, for me, it’s about getting that recovery back. Getting your body to the condition to play the next day.”
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