The Seattle Mariners designated outfielder and first baseman Connor Joe for assignment on Tuesday, opening a 40-man roster spot as the club made its September additions.
The move came alongside the designation of right-hander Nolan Kingham. Seattle selected the contract of outfield prospect Lazaro Montes from Triple-A Tacoma and signed left-handed reliever Hoby Milner, then added him to the major league roster after his release from the Chicago Cubs.
Joe, 33, signed a minor league contract with the Mariners in February and earned a call-up in early April after Victor Robles went on the injured list.
He appeared in 21 major league games this season, hitting .179 with one home run in 45 plate appearances. At Tacoma he was more productive, slashing .264/.365/.420 with eight home runs.
The designation does not end his big-league story so much as pause another chapter. Joe has been in the majors since 2019, when he debuted with the San Francisco Giants on March 28.
A first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014 (39th overall out of the University of San Diego), he has since played for six organizations: the Giants, Colorado Rockies, Pirates, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, and Mariners.
Over parts of seven seasons he has compiled a .238/.332/.382 line with 36 home runs and 148 RBI. His most regular work came in Colorado and Pittsburgh. In 2021 with the Rockies he hit .285 with eight homers in 63 games. In 2023 with Pittsburgh he posted a .247 average, 11 homers, and 42 RBI across 133 games.
The last two seasons were thinner: he combined for a .186 average in 42 games between San Diego and Cincinnati in 2025 before landing in Seattle as depth at first base and the corner outfield.
Joe’s 2026 stints in Seattle were brief and situational. He filled in when Robles and later Randy Arozarena were sidelined, then returned to Tacoma when the regulars came back.
That pattern is familiar for a right-handed bat who has spent much of his career as a platoon and utility option.
Because he has already been outrighted once, Joe can elect free agency if he clears waivers. If another club claims him, he would join a seventh major league organization. If not, he can choose to remain in the Mariners’ system or test the market again.
For Seattle, the DFA is a roster math decision more than a verdict on Joe’s career. September expansion and the promotion of Montes required 40-man space.
Joe provided injury cover and professional at-bats when the club needed them.
Now the Mariners are turning the page toward younger outfield depth and a fresh bullpen arm, while a veteran who has been a major leaguer since 2019 waits to see where the next assignment lands.
