Former Seattle Mariners Reliever Austin Voth Signs With Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan
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The Seattle Mariners bullpen is expected to look significantly different in 2025 than it was in 2024, especially on the front end. Several injured pitchers are expected to return and multiple respective prospects will have a chance to earn their way to the majors.
The Mariners also chose to depart from multiple pitchers in the offseason. And one of them found his new home overseas.
Austin Voth was one of two relievers Seattle non-tendered on Nov. 22 (JT Chargois was the other). And Voth will be throwing in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball in 2025.
Yakyu Cosmopolitan reported on "X" (formerly known as Twitter) that Voth signed with the Chiba Lotte Mariners. The report came via an article published on nikkansports.com.
The Lotte Marines are signing RHP Austin Voth.
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) February 10, 2025
Voth, 32, has a career 4.70 ERA / 4.68 FIP in MLB. He had a 100 ERA+ in 61 IP for Seattle last season
Pitch mix features a cutter, four-seam, sweeper, and curve.
https://t.co/sdikKzEytX
Voth is the third player who's been a part of the Mariners organization in the last year who has been reported to sign on with an NPB team for 2025. Power-hitting veteran Jason Vosler and reliever Yunior Marte both signed with the Chunichi Dragons.
Voth only threw one season with Seattle in 2024. He made 68 appearances for the team, which was the second-most on the pitching staff behind Trent Thornton (71). Voth put up a 3.69 ERA (the second-highest mark of his seven-year career) and struck out 61 batters in as many innings pitched. He also held opposing batters to a career-low .204 batting average.
Austin Voth, Soul-Stealing Curveball. 👻 pic.twitter.com/pq4AMohCxJ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 4, 2024
Voth was often tasked with the thankless job of being the transition pitcher in blowout games or in close games in the seventh and eighth innings and was on the wrong end of a lot of go-ahead or eventual game-winning hits. But he was a durable option in the bullpen. And whoever takes his place will likely be tasked with Voth's iron man duties alongside Thornton.
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