Seattle Mariners Jun 5, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of a Seattle Mariners batting helmet and logo during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners outrighted former first-round pick and top prospect Justus Sheffield on Thursday.

The Mariners’ PR account tweeted, “Roster move: LHP Justus Sheffield cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.”

Sheffield, who Cleveland drafted in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft, spent four seasons with the Mariners. Seattle acquired Sheffield from the New York Yankees in the 2019 offseason in a trade centered around hurler James Paxton.

Many regarded Sheffield as a top prospect for some time. He was one of the centerpieces in the Paxton trade with the Yankees, who had acquired him in a huge trade in 2016 after they dealt Andrew Miller away.

However, he just failed to really catch on. In 186.0 career innings, Sheffield posted an ERA of 5.47, a FIP of 4.77, and a WHIP of 1.634. He threw 155 strikeouts to 90 walks, with a career-high of 63 strikeouts in 2021. Sheffield posted a 12-12 career record through 48 career games.

Last season, Sheffield appeared in six games and started once. He posted an ERA of 3.86 in 11.2 innings. He tossed seven strikeouts and six walks with a WHIP of 1.286. This after a year in which he went 7-8 in 21 appearances with an ERA of 6.83 in 2021.

The 26-year-old left-hander still might have a lot of baseball in him. But he, like other prospects, is now faced with an uphill battle.

[Mariners PR]

About Chris Novak

Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022