SEATTLE, Wash. -- Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today that the club has signed free agent right-handed pitcher Cory Gearrin and free agent infielder Tim Beckham. In order to make room on Seattle's Major League, 40-man roster, the club has designated for assignment outfielder John Andreoli.
Seattle's 40-man roster is now at 40 players. Per club policy, the terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
Seattle has 7 days to trade, release or outright the contract of Andreoli to the minor leagues.
"Cory Gearrin brings much needed veteran experience and stability to the back of our bullpen. He has been a solid under the radar performer, particularly over the past two seasons." Dipoto said. "Tim Beckham is a very talented player who is one year removed from being one of the more productive shortstops in the American League. He is a real offensive threat with multi-position defensive versatility that fits our team very well."
Gearrin, 32, combined to go 2-1 with 1 save and a 3.77 ERA (24 ER, 57.1 IP) in 62 games with San Francisco (3/29-7/7), Texas (7/8-8/30) and Oakland (8/31-end of season) in 2018. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound, right-handed reliever limited opponents to a .255 (56x220) average, while walking 21 and striking out 53. He began the season with the Giants, holding opponents scoreless in 26 of 35 appearances and posting a 1-1 record with 1 save and a 4.20 ERA (14 ER, 30.0 IP). Gearrin was acquired by the Rangers along with RHP Jason Bahr and OF Austin Jackson from the Giants in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations on July 8. He went 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA (6 ER, 21.1 IP) over 21 appearances with Texas before being traded to the Athletics in exchange for two minor league pitchers on August 31. Gearrin appeared in 6 games with Oakland in Sept., going 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA (4 ER, 6.0 IP).
Originally selected by Atlanta in the 4th round of the 2007 June draft, he has compiled a 12-9 record with a 3.54 ERA spanning 270 relief appearances over 7 Major League seasons with Atlanta (2011-13), San Francisco (2015-18), Texas (2018) and Oakland (2018). The Chattanooga, TN, native has held right-handed batters to a .228 average (135x593) with a .640 OPS in his career. He has averaged 62 appearances over the last 3 season (2016-18). In 2017, Gearrin went 4-3 with a 1.99 ERA (15 ER/68.0 IP) over a career-high 68 relief appearances with San Francisco, posting the 7th-lowest relief ERA in the National League.
Beckham, 28 (turns 29 on Jan. 27), appeared in 96 games with Baltimore in 2018, batting .230 (85x369) with 45 runs, 17 doubles, 12 home runs and 35 RBI. He was sidelined by a stint on the 60-day disabled list with a strained left groin. After being reinstated from the disabled list on June 25, he hit .246 (70x285) with 37 runs, 13 doubles, 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 73 games. The 6-foot, 210-pound infielder was non-tendered by the Orioles on Nov. 30.
In 2017, he combined to bat .278 (148x533) with 67 runs, 18 doubles, 5 triples, 22 home runs and 62 RBI in 137 games with the Rays and Orioles. Beckham split the 2017 season between the Orioles and the Rays, going to Baltimore in exchange for minor league right-hander Tobias Myers on July 31. His 3.3 WAR (Baseball-Reference) was 6th-best among American League shortstops in 2017.
Beckham was selected by Tampa Bay with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Griffin (GA) High School. He made his Major League debut with the Rays on Sept. 19, 2013 vs. Texas. Over parts of 5 Major League seasons with the Rays (2013, 2015-17) and Orioles (2017-18), he is a career .252 (330x1310) hitter with 162 runs, 54 doubles, 14 triples, 48 home runs and 151 RBI in 384 career games.
Andreoli, 28, was claimed off waivers by the Mariners from the Orioles on Oct. 31. He appeared in 23 games with the Orioles in 2018 after being claimed off waivers from Seattle on Aug. 18, batting .232 (13x56) with 4 runs scored, 2 doubles, 4 RBI, 4 walks and 2 stolen bases. Andreoli spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Tacoma and also had 3 stints with the Mariners: May 23-28, July 7-9 and July 20. Overall in 3 games with Seattle in 2018, he went 1-for-5 (.200) with 1 walk. He made his Major League debut with the Mariners on May 23 at Oakland. In 89 games with the Rainiers, he hit .287 (94x327) with 54 runs, 18 doubles, 5 triples, 3 home runs, 36 RBI, 55 walks, 19 stolen bases and a .397 on-base percentage. He was on the Rainiers disabled list from April 22 to May 2 with a sprained finger on his right hand.
Andreoli was signed by Seattle as a minor league free agent on Dec. 8, 2017 and designated for assignment on August 17, 2018. The Worchester, MA, native was drafted by Chicago-NL in the 17th round of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Connecticut. In 8 minor league seasons (2011-current), he's appeared in 773 games, hitting a combined .270 (745x2763) with 127 doubles, 44 triples, 37 home runs and 256 RBI with 247 stolen bases.