Mariners Notes: Easton McGee DFA’d, Cardinals Extend JJ Wetherholt

The Mariners were not directly involved in either of Friday’s notable transactions. Both still carry some relevance in the PNW.

One involves former Mariners pitcher Easton McGee whose lone start with the organization remains one of the stranger and more memorable outings of the past few seasons. The other adds JJ Wetherholt to the growing list of young players receiving massive contract extensions almost immediately after reaching the majors.

Former Mariners pitcher Easton McGee is available again

The Milwaukee Brewers DFA’d right-hander Easton McGee, potentially sending the former Mariner back onto the open market. Mariners fans probably remember McGee for one game.

On April 29, 2023, McGee made his first major league start and carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. Matt Chapman broke it up with a two-out double, ending McGee’s afternoon after 6 2/3 innings of one-hit baseball. Seattle ended up losing that game in classic Seattle fashion, 1-0 in 10 innings.

It looked like McGee had introduced himself as another unexpected piece of Seattle’s pitching operation. Instead, he landed on the IL the following day with a forearm strain and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery.

McGee spent the following season recovering before rebuilding his career with the Brewers. He found his way back to the majors, made several trips between Milwaukee and Triple-A Nashville and pitched two scoreless innings this season before being optioned in May.

Could the Mariners pursue a reunion? Sure. We shouldn’t turn that possibility into something larger than it is, though. McGee would be a depth addition, not a solution to any of Seattle’s immediate roster problems.

JJ Wetherholt gives Colt Emerson another extension comparison

The Cardinals reportedly agreed to a long-term extension with rookie standout JJ Wetherholt that will buy out multiple free-agent seasons. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the deal reaches nine figures, making Wetherholt the latest young player to land life-changing money before getting anywhere close to the open market.

BREAKING: Rookie standout JJ Wetherholt and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a long-term contract extension that will buy out multiple years of free agency, sources tell ESPN. Wetherholt, 23, has been tremendous and is the latest rookie to land a nine-figure contract.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 10, 2026

Colt Emerson already received his own extension, and Wetherholt belongs to the same broader wave of young stars being treated as franchise pillars almost as soon as they arrive. The traditional wait-and-see days are disappearing for elite rookies.

Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle, Emerson, and now Wetherholt are all part of the same financial trend. Seattle made its decision on Emerson before it had years of major league evidence, and that was the point. Every new rookie extension helps establish that Seattle was not operating on an island.

Initial reports indicate that Wetherholt agreed to an 8-year, $112.5 million extension with incentives that could push the total to $132 million.

The 7th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft is having a spectacular breakout season. Wetherholt is slashing .267/.362/.411 with 13 home runs, 36 RBI and 9 stolen bases. What many expected to be a rebuilding year for the St. Louis Cardinals has been anything but. They’re 48-44, sitting third in the NL Central with an outside shot at a wild-card spot. Even if a playoff berth looks unlikely, the Cardinals have been one of the league’s biggest surprises.

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