Mariners Trade Former Reds Reliever to Cubs After Quick Minor League Stop

This experiment didn’t last long.

May 4, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Yosver Zulueta (67) throws against the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Yosver Zulueta experiment has come and gone as Seattle traded the right-handed reliever to the Chicago Cubs after designating him for assignment. The Mariners acquired him in January and gave him a look in the system. Things clearly didn’t work out, so they’ve moved on before the DFA process fully swallowed him.

Zulueta came to Seattle from the Cincinnati Reds in January in exchange for minor league pitcher Dusty Revis. At the time, it made sense as the Mariners are known for their flurry of acquiring cast-off arms before spring training with some big-league experience.

Usually, we’ll get a chance to see some of these arms at least once in a Mariners uniform when they rotate through their usual bullpen cycle. But this one never really turned into anything.

Roster moves:

🔹 Miles Mastrobuoni, INF/OF, reinstated from 60-day IL.
🔹 Domingo González, RHP, recalled from Triple-A Tacoma.
🔹 Ryan Bliss, INF, optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
🔹 Matt Brash, placed on 15-day IL (right lat strain, retroactive to June 9)
🔹 Yosver Zulueta, RHP,… pic.twitter.com/te4mDyudXt

— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) June 10, 2026

The Mariners Needed More Than Raw Stuff from Zulueta

Zulueta spent his Mariners tenure in Triple-A and never forced his way into the major-league bullpen conversation. He had a 5.75 ERA over 20 1/3 innings in 22 appearances with Triple-A Tacoma this season, though he still showed the ability to strike guys out with a 9.4 K/9 and averaged over 96 mph with his fastball. 

This guy may be reaching the part of his career where he just bounces around. He originally signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent in 2019, was claimed by the Reds in March 2024, made his MLB debut with Cincinnati, and pitched 23 2/3 major-league innings across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Then came the Mariners in January.  And now it’s the Cubs in June, who just so happen to be hosting the Blue Jays this upcoming weekend. Talk about full circle if he gets the call. 

It’s interesting because Zulueta is known for having really strong stuff. But it’s been the command that’s kept his career from taking off. His fastball can hit triple digits and plays really well off his secondary pitches, but that’s only if he can find the strike zone. 

Seattle designated him for assignment on June 10 as part of a wave of roster moves that included Miles Mastrobuoni being reinstated from the 60-day injured list, Matt Brash landing on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain, Ryan Bliss being optioned, and Domingo González being recalled. 

The Cubs can now take their own shot. Maybe their pitching group can help him find the zone. But from the Mariners’ side, it’s not one to overthink. They preach advantage counts, and if you’re living like a wild child on the mound, they’re not going to have a ton of patience.