Seattle Mariners first baseman Ty France was caught off guard on Monday when he found out that the Mariners had placed him on waivers.
The Mariners decided on Sunday to put France on irrevocable outright waivers. The 30-year-old has had a tough season, hitting just .223 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 88 games. His on-base percentage is .312, and his slugging percentage is .350.
“I was a little surprised,” France said before Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. “But I get that it’s a business. I haven’t been playing my best, so anything can happen.”
Despite this, France remains on the Mariners’ active roster for the game against the Angels. He wasn’t in the starting lineup, but he could still be called upon to play.
Other Major League Baseball teams have 48 hours to claim France and add him to their roster, taking on the remainder of his one-year, $6.775 million contract. If he isn’t claimed, the Mariners can either send him to Triple-A Tacoma or keep him on the active roster.
Ty France watches a single in the 5th inning.
With over five years of MLB service time, France can refuse a Triple-A assignment and become a free agent. If he chooses this route, the Mariners would still pay his salary, and any team that signs him would only pay the prorated major league minimum salary.
France had been a standout offensive player for the Mariners since joining from San Diego in a midseason trade in 2020. He was an All-Star in 2022, hitting .274 with 20 home runs and 83 RBIs. However, his performance has declined over the past two seasons, casting doubt on his future.
“I think he’s handling it as well as he can,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Ty is a professional. He has played a lot of great baseball for us over the years, playing a key role in our lineup. But these things happen. It’s part of the business.”
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