Lawrence, 38, has been in the game for over a decade now, but has never been much more than a depth arm. He played in the big league in five different seasons, but only played in 65 games with an average of 6.42.
He and the Mariners have a relationship that seems to work for both parties. He bounced around Seattle’s roster throughout the 2025 season, being added when the club needed a new arm to pick up some innings and spare the rest of the staff. Since he is out of options, he would then be designated for assignment. Once, he was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays and was with that club for a short time. But for the most part, he would clear waivers, elect free agency and then sign a new minor league deal with the M’s.
By the end of the year, he had been designated for assignment six times, once by the Jays and five times by the Mariners. Around all these trades, he threw 17 2/3 innings over six appearances with an ERA of 4.08.
It would be understandable to feel like Lawrence was confused, but it seems like he understood the situation given his career trajectory. “I think I’m used to the movement of it,” Lawrence said Tim Booth of The Seattle Times in April. “And I think it’s one of those things where you understand your role on the team and you’re willing to do whatever you can to help the team. Right now, it’s kind of a do-it-all.”
Lawrence never got enough big league time to qualify for arbitration, so his career earnings are certainly less than many of his peers. Taking on this role late in his career will allow him to at least collect some sporadic Major League paychecks before hanging up his peaks. He told Booth he plans to move into a player development or front office role, but wants to keep playing while he can.
The Mariners have a strong rotation consisting of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo And Bryce Molenaar. They have Logan Evans and others as depth options. Expectation Jurrangelo Cijntje could be in Triple-A sometime in 2026. Lawrence will likely be used for emergency mop-up duties for situations where the staff is gassed due to injuries or when he has a series of overtime games in quick succession.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, images
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