Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today that the club has claimed catcher Rob Brantly off waivers from Chicago (AL). To make room on the Major League 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Ryan Cook has been placed on the 60-day disabled list with a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle.
 
Brantly, 26, had an eventful 2015 season. He fractured his left thumb in spring training, and opened the season on the disabled list. He returned to action on May 28, and appeared in 30 games with AA Birmingham and 23 games with AAA Charlotte. He combined to hit .310 (63x203) in the minors last season with 8 home runs and 38 RBI while throwing out 15 of 52 (28.8%) of base runners attempting to steal. Brantly was recalled to the White Sox on Sept. 1, appearing in 14 games with the big league club.
 
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound left-handed hitting catcher has appeared in the Majors with Miami (2012-2013) as well as the White Sox (2015). In 112 career MLB games, he's a .225 hitter (80-for-356) with a .286 on-base percentage.  
 
Brantly was originally signed by Detroit after being selected in the 3rd round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft. He was acquired by Miami from Detroit, along with Jacob Turner and Brian Flynn, in exchange for Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante on July 23, 2012. He was claimed off waivers from Miami by the White Sox on Dec. 8, 2014.
 
In six minor league seasons, Brantly combined to hit .274 with 83 doubles, 6 triples, 29 home runs and 202 RBI in 436 games. He's posted a career minor league .321 on-base percentage to go with a .387 slugging mark.
 
Cook, 28, appeared in one game this spring, tossing a shutout inning vs. San Diego on March 2 (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO). He has not pitched since and has been diagnosed with a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle. He was signed by Seattle as a free agent on Jan. 7, 2016.
 
Cook posted a 2.77 ERA (61 ER, 198.1 IP) in 208 relief appearances during his first four Major League seasons (2011-14) before combining to post an 18.69 ERA (18 ER, 8.2 IP) in 9 relief appearances for Oakland and Boston last season. In Triple-A last season with Nashville and Pawtucket, he combined to go 4-1 with a 3.16 ERA (15 ER, 42.2 IP) with 36 strikeouts in 37 relief appearances.