SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners decided to make a move at first base. The M's placed former All-Star Ty France on outright waivers, according to multiple reports.
France was only hitting .223 this season. But that's also fourth best on the team amongst position players on the team who see regular at-bats.
Seattle received France in a seven-player trade with San Diego in 2020. He finished the season with the M's and hit .302 in 23 games.
Next season, France hit a solid .291 with 18 home runs and 73 RBI.
In 2022, France was named to the All-Star Game as an injury replacement. He hit a career-high 20 home runs and 83 RBI for the M's, while batting .274 at the plate.
He started to slump in 2023. France batted .250 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI over 158 games.
After spending this past off-season working on his swing, France still had troubles at the plate. He was batting .223 at the time Seattle reportedly placed him on waivers.
The team has 48 hours to claim France. That team would be responsible for what's left of his 1-year, $6.775 million contract. But if he goes unclaimed, the 30-year-old could come back to the M's. However, he could refuse assignment because of his time served in the majors and become a free agent.
France is the Mariners all-time leader in hit-by-pitch with 95.
