Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today that the club has exercised its option for the 2017 season on outfielder Seth Smith, and has declined its option for the 2017 season on catcher Chris Iannetta.
After today's roster moves and with Franklin Gutierrez, Dae-Ho Lee, Adam Lind and Drew Storen becoming free agents this morning, the Mariners Major League 40-man roster is now at 35 players.
Smith, 34, hit .249 (94x378) with 62 runs, 15 doubles, 16 home runs and 63 RBI in 137 games with Seattle this season. His 63 RBI were a career-high and his 16 home runs were 2nd-most in his career. Smith hit .326 (28x86) with 1 double, 8 home runs and 50 RBI with runners in scoring position this season, ranking 12th-best in the American League in average with runners in scoring position. The 6-foot-3, 210 pound outfielder ranks 2nd among active players in pinch-hit home runs with 9, and is one of two players to hit a pinch-hit home run in each of the last 4 seasons (2013-16). In parts of 10 Major League seasons with Colorado (2007-11), Oakland (2012-13), San Diego (2014) and Seattle (2015-c), Smith is a career .261 (849x3252) hitter with 205 doubles, 113 home runs and 426 RBI in 1138 career games.
Iannetta, 33, hit .210 (62x295) with 23 runs, 14 doubles, 7 home runs and 24 RBI in 94 games this season. He appeared in 70 of the Mariners 89 games before the All-Star Break, but just 24 of Seattle's 73 games following the break. He signed with Seattle as a Major League free agent on Nov. 23, 2015. In parts of 11 Major League seasons, he has hit .229 (652x2848) with 355 runs, 139 doubles, 107 home runs and 402 RBI in 946 games with Colorado, Los Angeles-AL & Seattle.