Mariners decline option of Miguel Olivo, release Munenori Kawasaki

The Seattle Mariners have cleared two spots on their 40-man roster, declining Miguel Olivo's 2013 club option and releasing infielder Munenori Kawasaki, reports Larry Stone of the Seattle Times:

The Mariner just announced a couple of transactions, neither one of which is a huge surprise.

The Mariners declined to pick up the 2013 club option on catcher Miguel Olivo, which means he will become a free agent the day after the World Series. The option was for $3 million, Also, infielder Munenori Kawasaki has been released from his contract.

The 34-year-old Olivo, who hit just .222/.239/.381 with twelve home runs in eighty-seven games on the season, will receive a $750k buyout. The veteran catcher had been usurped on the depth chart by both Jesus Montero and John Jaso, and was soon to be made completely redundant by the fast-approaching Mike Zunino.

Kawasaki, who joined the Mariners from Japan in 2012 with the explicit purpose of playing with Ichiro Suzuki, hit just .192/.257/.202 with a single extra-base hit in sixty-one games in his lone season with the Mariners. A quirky fan-favorite in spite of his deficient offensive numbers, Kawasaki will likely make his way back to Japan now that Ichiro is with the New York Yankees.