The Mariners have acquired left-hander Josh Simpson from the Marlins, both teams announced. Miami is receiving cash in the deal. Simpson was designated for assignment last week. Right-hander Logan Evans was placed on the 60-day IL in a corresponding move.
Evans underwent UCL surgery in late January and will miss the entire 2026 season, so his 60-day IL placement is no surprise. With Simpson taking Evans’ spot, Seattle’s 40-man roster remains full.
Simpson missed the majority of the 2024 campaign with an elbow injury. He put together three months of a 3.41 ERA at Triple-A this past year, earning his first big-league callup. Simpson was tagged for four earned runs across two innings in his MLB debut against the Braves, but settled in from there. He delivered eight straight scoreless appearances out of the Miami bullpen after the rough first outing. The lefty struggled over his next 12 appearances, ceding 17 earned runs. He capped off September with a seven-run debacle, once again while facing Atlanta.
The final result in Simpson’s first taste of the majors was a 7.34 ERA, though there were positive indicators. The reliever posted an xFIP and SIERA below 4.50. He punched out big-league bats at a near-24% clip. Simpson coaxed ground balls at a well above average 53.9% rate. The 28-year-old could find his way into a Texas bullpen without a ton of proven commodities at some point in the 2026 campaign.
Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images