Mariners Sign 38-Year-Old MLB Veteran Pitcher to Roster

The Seattle Mariners dipped back into a familiar well, signing 38-year-old right-hander Casey Lawrence. He’s one of MLB’s oldest active free agents, and this move blends depth, experience, and a dash of nostalgia.

This isn’t about star power. It’s about a journeyman pitcher whose career has been defined by persistence and a willingness to take the ball wherever and whenever he’s asked.

Mariners Reunite With a Familiar Face in Casey Lawrence

For Seattle, bringing back Lawrence isn’t about headline-grabbing upside. It’s about stabilizing the pitching depth chart with someone they know and trust.

He’s a veteran who knows his role and understands the grind of a long season.

Lawrence’s story is as much about perseverance as it is about performance. From undrafted free agent to bouncing between teams and leagues, his path has never been straightforward.

But he’s been relentless, always finding a way to stick around.

From Undrafted Long Shot to Major League Mound

Lawrence’s journey started far from the traditional powerhouse pipeline. Coming out of Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, he entered pro baseball as an undrafted free agent.

Most front offices quietly file away players like that as organizational depth, but Lawrence turned that modest starting point into a career that’s spanned multiple MLB stops.

His overall numbers—a career ERA of 6.42 across 65 big league games—won’t jump off the page. Still, the fact that he carved out any major league career at all from such beginnings is impressive.

A Journeyman’s Road Through MLB Clubhouses

Few pitchers embody the word journeyman quite like Lawrence. His career timeline reads like a tour of opportunity, setbacks, and second chances across both leagues.

He’s worn several uniforms, often shuttling between Triple-A rotations and big league bullpens. He answers the call when injuries and schedule crunches open the door.

First Break with the Blue Jays

Lawrence finally cracked the big leagues in 2017 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He made his MLB debut and appeared in four games that season.

It wasn’t a long stint, but for a pitcher who climbed the ladder the hard way, it was a significant breakthrough.

That brief run put him on the radar of other clubs. It paved the way for his first stint in Seattle.

First Mariners Chapter: 2017–2018

Later in 2017, Lawrence joined the Mariners and found a more extended opportunity. He logged time in 23 games that year and added 11 more appearances in 2018.

For Seattle, he served as a swingman—part spot starter, part long reliever, part innings stabilizer when the bullpen was stretched thin.

He took on any role, often in low-glamour situations that still matter over a 162-game season.

Return to Toronto and a Stop in St. Louis

After stepping away from the majors for a period, Lawrence resurfaced with the Blue Jays again in 2022. He appeared in six games and showed teams he could step in on short notice and give them competitive innings.

In 2023, he shifted to the National League and made 15 appearances with the St. Louis Cardinals. They used him much the same way—a veteran arm handling mop-up duty or bridging the gap in a taxed bullpen.

Back to Seattle: A Veteran Arm with Something Left

Lawrence didn’t pitch in the majors in 2024. That raised the familiar question: Was this the end of the line?

But 2025 brought another twist and another opportunity.

Back with the Mariners in 2025, Lawrence appeared in five games and quietly posted a strong 3.00 ERA. It’s a small-sample reminder that he still has something to offer when used the right way.

A Tough Outing and an Unshaken Reputation

He also had one tough outing with the Blue Jays in 2025, the kind that can balloon a stat line and linger in ERA columns. But for a pitcher like Lawrence, single-game blowups never define him.

He’s defined by his resilience—the way he keeps finding his way back to a big league mound, even as younger arms fill depth charts and rosters churn. That’s something you just can’t teach.

Why the Mariners’ Signing of Casey Lawrence Matters

This move probably won’t dominate talk-radio segments or light up social media. Still, every contending club needs players like Casey Lawrence—veterans who know their role and actually embrace it.

For Seattle, Lawrence offers:

Lawrence’s signing shows his dedication to the game. At an age when plenty of pitchers have already retired, he keeps chasing opportunities.

He adapts, refines his craft, and takes on whatever role lets him stay in uniform. In a baseball world obsessed with velocity and youth, Casey Lawrence stands for something else—persistence, professionalism, and that stubborn belief there’s always another inning left to pitch.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Mariners sign free agent pitcher who keeps playing in MLB at 38 years old