SEATTLE, Wash. -- Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today the following roster moves:
- Matt Festa, RHP, recalled from AAA Tacoma.
- Ryan Garton, RHP, selected from AAA Tacoma.
- Erik Swanson, RHP, optioned to AAA Tacoma.
- Zac Rosscup, LHP, designated for assignment.
Festa (#67) and Garton (#58) will be in uniform and available for tonight’s (7:10 pm PT) game against the Minnesota Twins at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle has 7 days to trade, release or outright the contract of Rosscup to the minor leagues.
Seattle’s Major League, 40-man, roster remains full at 40 players.
Festa, 26, was named to his first career Opening Day roster this season. He made 6 appearances with the Mariners, posting a 6.43 ERA (5 ER, 7.0 IP) with 4 strikeouts and 5 walks, before being optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on April 11 (post-game). In 8 outings with the Rainiers this season, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound right-hander is 0-1 with 1 save and a 6.30 ERA (7 ER, 10.0 IP) with 13 strikeouts and 4 walks. In his last 5 games with Tacoma, he posted a 1.42 ERA (1 ER, 6.1 IP) with 9 strikeouts, 2 walks and a .095 (2x21) opponents average against.
Festa had four separate stints with the Mariners in 2018, combining for a 2.16 ERA (2 ER, 8.1 IP) in 8 games, 1 start, while holding opponents scoreless in 6 of 8 appearances. He made his Major League debut with the Mariners on July 14, 2018 at Colorado. He spent most of the 2018 campaign with Double-A Arkansas, where he led the Texas League with 20 saves. He was originally selected by the Mariners in the 7th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of East Stroudsburg University.
Garton, 29, was 3-0 with a 3.46 ERA (10 ER, 26.0 IP) with 28 strikeouts and 9 walks in 12 games (1 start) with Triple-A Tacoma this season. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound right-hander has worked multiple innings in 7 of his 11 relief appearances with the Rainiers this season. He has struck out multiple batters in 8 of 11 relief outings. Garton began the season with Tacoma after earning an invite to Seattle’s Major League Spring Training camp.
Garton was acquired by the Mariners along with Mike Marjama (c) in exchange for Anthony Misiewicz (lhp), Luis Rengifo (inf) and a Player to be Named Later on Aug. 6, 2017. He was re-signed by the Mariners on Oct. 21, 2018. He made his Major League debut with Tampa Bay on May 26, 2016 vs. Miami. He was originally selected by the Rays in the 34th round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Florida Atlantic. In parts of 2 Major League seasons with the Rays (2016-17) and Mariners (2017), he is 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA (31 ER, 61.1 IP) with 49 strikeouts and 17 walks in 57 games.
Swanson, 25, has appeared in 2 stints with the Mariners this season: April 9-11 and April 14-May 17. In 7 games (6 starts) with the Mariners in 2019, he is 1-5 with an 8.04 ERA (28 ER, 31.1 IP) with 24 strikeouts and 5 walks. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound right-hander allowed 8 runs on 9 hits (4 home runs) while striking out 3 over 3.0 innings in a start last night vs. Minnesota. He made his Major League debut April 11 at Kansas City, allowing 2 runs in 2.0 innings of work. He began the season with Triple-A Tacoma, where he has made 1 start.
Swanson was acquired by Seattle from New York-AL on Nov. 19, 2018 (with Justus Sheffield and Dom Thompson-Williams) in exchange for James Paxton. In parts of 6 minor league seasons with the Rangers (2014-16), Yankees (2016-18) and Mariners (2019-c), he is 23-12 with a 3.31 ERA (133 ER, 362.0 IP) with 362 strikeouts and 87 walks in 94 games (60 starts). He was originally selected by Texas in the 8th round of the 2014 MLB Draft.
Rosscup, 30, was 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA (5 ER, 14.0 IP) with 20 strikeouts and 14 walks in 19 relief appearances with the Mariners this season. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound left-hander signed with Seattle as a free agent on Dec. 20, 2018.
Rosscup struck out 20 and walked 4 while allowing 6 earned runs over 11.1 innings pitched (4.76 ERA) in 17 relief appearances with the Dodgers in 2018. The Clackamas, OR, native began the season in the Rockies organization before being claimed off waivers by the Dodgers on July 11. Rosscup was on the disabled list three times last season: March 29-July 11 (blister on left middle finger), July 25-Aug. 4 (left middle finger inflammation) and Aug. 20-Sept. 1 (left calf strain). He made rehab appearances with Triple-A Albuquerque (COL), High-A Rancho Cucamonga (LAD) and Triple-A Oklahoma City (LAD), combining for a 0.90 ERA (1 ER, 10.0 IP) with 11 strikeouts and 4 walks.
Rosscup was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 28th round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Chemeketa Community College (Salem, OR). He is 5-2 with a 4.86 ERA (43 ER, 79.2 IP) and 107 strikeouts in 107 career games over 6 Major League seasons with Chicago-NL (2013-15, 2017), Colorado (2017), Los Angeles-NL (2018) and Seattle (2019).