Mariners Sign Former Phillies Castoff in Latest Search for Emergency Depth

Not a flashy signing, but a necessary one.

Jun 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Weston Wilson (37) enters the dugout to play the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

In what shouldn’t be a huge surprise, the Mariners quietly added more depth this week. They signed former Phillies and Orioles utility player Weston Wilson to a minor-league contract, giving the organization another experienced plug-and-play option at Triple-A Tacoma. 

The M’s are beat up and shuffling bodies. It’s hard to imagine Wilson getting a major league look, but don’t be surprised if it happens if more injuries pile up. Not a bad idea to stash a guy who’s logged serviceable major league reps in Tacoma for when the moment arrives.

Weston Wilson Gives the Mariners Another Emergency Option in Tacoma

The 31-year-old former Phillies utility man has had some moments throughout his career. He hit for the cycle with Philadelphia in 2024 and has enough pop to run into one. He has been around long enough to have played on some good teams. And he’s been through the DFA carousel to understand his role in Seattle.  

His latest major-league stint was with the Orioles where he slashed .231/.348/.333 with 1 home run and 3 RBI in 19 games for the major league club. Before that he struggled in 2025, hitting .198 with 5 home runs in Philadelphia.

In a perfect world, the Mariners wouldn’t need to care this much about adding another utility player to their Triple-A roster. But this season isn’t exactly giving them that luxury. They currently have a lot of position players wobbling at the same time, so it’s better to have some experience 45 minutes south than not.

Wilson being able to cover both the corner infield and outfield isn’t a luxury they can take lightly. They currently have Miles Mastrobuoni taking reps in the outfield to add additional coverage which says a lot about where they are right now. 

Wilson could spend the next few months in Tacoma and never matter to the big-league roster. And that would actually be the best-case scenario. That would tell us the Mariners got healthy again.

But if the injuries continue to pile up, this is the kind of move that can become useful really fast.

In the middle of the season, with the AL West still very much wide open, this is a move that’s both smart and maybe even a little annoying. But you have to have emergency depth for these kinds of stretches. It’s not a move that wins the division, but it could be the difference between surviving another injury and watching it turn into a huge mess.