Mariners tender '22 contracts to 33 players

The Mariners remain whole -- at least for now.

Seattle announced on Tuesday afternoon that it has tendered contracts to 33 players, including 10 who were eligible for arbitration, on its 40-man roster, in addition to the four who were already under Major League contracts for 2022 -- starting pitchers Chris Flexen and Marco Gonzales, reliever Ken Giles and first baseman Evan White. Additionally, the Mariners agreed to terms with catcher José Godoy and infielder Kevin Padlo for next season.

The 40-man roster is now at 39 players, but free-agent acquisition Robbie Ray will need to be added once his five-year, $115 million deal becomes official after he passes a physical, which he was set to take Tuesday. If all goes according to plan, Ray will be formally introduced at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s transactions were mostly formalities that will create some roster clarity should the Collective Bargaining Agreement expire at 8:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday and a new deal not be reached. If that proceeds, there would be a transaction freeze across Major League Baseball. By keeping the 40-man roster at capacity, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto will have a full team in place to operate with.

These moves will also not preclude Seattle from continuing to be active in the free-agent and trade markets until the CBA’s potential expiration, and if the team continues to add players from outside the organization, it would adjust its 40-man roster as needed.

In fact, it’s almost certain that the current 40-man roster will look different than the one in place when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. Despite adding a pair of All-Stars in second baseman Adam Frazier and the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Ray, the Mariners still have clear needs to address this offseason, most notably at least one more starting pitcher and an impact bat, likely pegged for the infield.

• After Frazier, Ray, what's next for Mariners?

Why were Tuesday’s moves announced? They were completed ahead of MLB’s deadline to tender contracts to players who are under club control but had not yet accrued the service time needed to reach free agency (six years). The annual deadline is Dec. 2, but MLB and the MLB Players Association agreed to move up that date in order to allow the opportunity for players who were non-tendered to sign with a new team.

The fact that only four Seattle players -- soon to be five, once Ray is added -- are on Major League deals, and that 33 are under club control, is a reminder of the financial flexibility that Dipoto’s front office will be operating with for the rest of the offseason. The club’s 40-man payroll, per Cot's Baseball Contracts, is at roughly $100 million after acquiring Ray, among the lower tiers in MLB.