Mariners Lose 27-Year-Old Free Agent Pitcher To Reds

The minor-league carousel continues

Jul 23, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; General view of Cincinnati Reds hat during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

It's been a quiet few weeks for the Seattle Mariners on the free-agent front, but there was one departure to note from this past week.

Mariners fans never truly got to know right-handed pitcher Hagen Danner, who has one major league appearance under his belt and didn't make one for the Mariners this past season. After he was claimed by the Mariners off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays last January, Danner spent the year with Triple-A Tacoma.

Due to the Mariners outrighting him off the 40-man roster in April, Danner had the ability to elect free agency in November. Now, he's landed a minor-league deal to officially seal his departure from the Mariners organization.

Hagen Danner heads to Reds, per transactions log

Feb 20, 2025; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Hagen Danner poses for a portrait during media day at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

According to the transactions log on his official roster page, Danner signed a minor-league deal with the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. He joined the Reds one day shy of the one-year anniversary of his arrival with the Mariners.

Danner, 27, was the Blue Jays' second-round pick in the 2017 draft out of high school in Huntington Beach, Calif. He was drafted as a catcher and played his first three seasons behind the plate in the Blue Jays' system before converting to a pitcher in 2021.

That move likely helped Danner's career, as he put up a 2.02 ERA as a reliever in High-A in 2021, making his major league debut two years later. But while his minor-league stats have generally been solid, he's been given the opportunity to throw just seven pitches at the major league level.

With Tacoma this past season, Danner had his worst minor-league campaign to date. Pitching in the Pacific Coast League, which is notorious for inflating offense, he put up a 5.59 ERA in 56 1/3 innings, striking out 54 batters, but allowing 64 hits (nine of which were home runs).

The odds of Danner making an impact on the Reds' season may not be particularly high, but if he does earn a spot on the major league roster at some point, the Mariners will surely be watching closely.

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