Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today that the club has claimed infielder Michael Freeman off waivers from Arizona. To make room on the Major League 40-man roster, infielder Patrick Kivlehan has been designated for assignment.
Freeman has been optioned to AAA Tacoma. The Mariners 40-man roster remains full.
The Mariners now have 10 days to trade, release or outright the contract of Kivlehan to the minors.
Freeman, 28 (turns 29 on August 4), hit .317 (108x341) with 56 runs, 17 doubles, 6 triples, 1 home run, 24 RBI, 38 walks, 11 stolen bases, a .387 on-base percentage and a .411 slugging percentage in 88 games with AAA Reno this season. Among Pacific Coast League leaders, Freeman ranks T8th in batting (.317), T8th in hits (108) and T8th in on-base percentage (.387). Freeman has appeared at 2nd base (71 games, 69 starts), center field (11 G, 9 GS), right field (7 G, 3 GS), left field (5 G) and 1st base (4 G, 1 GS) in 88 games with Reno. In 8 games with the Diamondbacks this season, Freeman is 0-for-9 with 2 walks in 11 plate appearances, 9 as a pinch-hitter. In parts of 7 minor league seasons with the Diamondbacks, Freeman is a career .290 (753x2600) with 127 doubles, 29 triples, 15 home runs and 255 RBI in 716 career games. Freeman was originally selected in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Clemson University.
Kivlehan, 26, has split the season with AAA Round Rock and AAA Tacoma, combining to hit .242 (72x298) with 38 runs, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 9 home runs and 41 RBI. In 36 games with AAA Round Rock, Kivlehan hit .184 (26x141) with 17 runs scored, 8 doubles, 1 home run, 16 RBI, 11 walks and 2 stolen bases. On May 29, Kivlehan was acquired from Texas in exchange for a player to be named later. In 43 games with AAA Tacoma, Kivlehan hit .293 (46x157) with 21 runs, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs and 25 RBI. In parts of 5 minor league seasons, Kivlehan is a career .281 (579x2060) hitter with 115 doubles, 18 triples, 79 home runs and 359 RBI in 541 career games. Kivlehan was the player to be named later from the November 16th trade with the Rangers in which the Mariners acquired outfielder Leonys Martin and right-handed pitcher Anthony Bass from Texas in exchange for right-handed pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen, outfielder James Jones and a PTBNL. He was originally drafted by Seattle in the 4th round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Rutgers University.