Cleveland Guardians Infielder Leaves for Seattle Mariners on New Minor League Deal

Another one bites the dust.

Yet again, the Cleveland Guardians have moved on from a player that sported the navy blue and red in the 2025 campaign.

On Friday, Jan. 30, former Cleveland infielder Will Wilson officially signed a new deal with the Seattle Mariners, marking a new chapter in his professional journey. His deal will be a minor league one, marking the third team he's played for in the last three years.

During his time with the Guardians, which only lasted a singular season, he played for both the Triple-A Columbus Clippers and the major league squad. In the minors, he slashed .246/.325/.435 for an OPS of .760, but his numbers dropped significantly at Progressive Field. In 34 major league games, he hit just .192 with 15 total hits and four doubles. He also drew just seven walks to 34 strikeouts.

His best game came against the Tampa Bay Rays on August 27, 2025, in a 4-3 win. He struck three hits, recorded one RBI and stole a base.

Wilson never really fit with Cleveland, as the rest of the infield was pretty much solidified. Even if he wanted to make a case for himself to earn a spot, his numbers were far too low.

With his new contract with Seattle, he'll have a chance to suit up for spring training, which is a perfect way to show what he's worth to his new club.

NEWS: The Seattle Mariners sign former Guardian Will Wilson to a minor league deal #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/VzcvfOcYOO
— SleeperGuardians (@SleeperGuards) January 31, 2026

Wilson's Questionable Career

There's never really been a point in time where the former No. 15 overall selection in the 2019 draft felt like he had a spot on a team.

After being drafted by the Los Angeles Angels, he was sent to the San Francisco Giants, where he played from 2021 through 2024. Those four years with the Giants, he bounced around from High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, before never being given a chance in the majors. With it obviously not working out, he was let go, leading to him being snagged by the Guardians.

While Cleveland seemed like a chance for him to legitimately compete for a second base, he just didn't produce enough. At the time, the Guardians needed someone to step up, because with so many prospects and underperforming veterans trying to hold down the spot, the door was open for Wilson.

A combination of issues at the plate, that didn't have any bright spots, and a 95% fielding percentage led to him being moved on from.

However, he is an interesting option for the Mariners for one big reason. Throughout the minors, he played just about anywhere asked of him. While most of his experience is as an infielder, either at shortstop, second or third base, he's also suited up for a small sample size of outfield action.

That allows him to be used as a utility piece, being able to play just about anywhere on any given day. With his career starting to somewhat be on the line as he approaches 30 years old, he'll look for a breakout season in 2026.

While he'll likely face off against the Guardians in 2026, they'll look to show that the decision to move on from him was worthwhile. In spring training, Cleveland is set to bring in four non-roster infielders to compete for a spot and become more adapted to the organization, one of whom is former No. 1 overall pick in 2024, Travis Bazzana.

The spring training window is set to open in the next few weeks, with Friday, Feb 20, and Saturday, Feb. 21, as the first two days of games.