Mariners sign Juan Nicasio to 2-year deal

ORLANDO -- The Mariners have reached a two-year, $17 million deal with righty Juan Nicasio, as first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

Nicasio was reportedly choosing between the Mariners and Cardinals earlier Wednesday and ultimately decided to head to the Pacific Northwest. He’s the latest move in a busy offseason for the Mariners, who have already swung deals for Ryon Healy and Dee Gordon and have added relievers Shawn Armstrong and Mike Morin.

Nicasio will join David Phelps and Nick Vincent in front of closer Edwin Diaz in a Mariners bullpen that could see more changes as the winter rolls on. General manager Jerry Dipoto is among the most active general managers in baseball and has said this week that pitching additions are the priority for his club.

Nicasio, 31, had an odd 2017 season, owning a 2.61 ERA across 76 appearances with the Pirates, Phillies and Cardinals. He was unexpectedly placed on outright waivers by Pittsburgh in a cost-saving measure at the end of August, picked up by the Phillies and almost immediately flipped to the Cardinals in a September trade before hitting free agency.

Nicasio is the latest in a long line of free agents to sign this week, joining Brandon Morrow, Luke Gregerson, Pat Neshek, Bryan Shaw, Tommy Hunter, Jake McGee, Anthony Swarzak and Joe Smith. For a complete list, check out our free-agent tracker.