Seattle teams in the spotlight: the Mariners trim the roster ahead of MLB season opener, and the Sounders drew 0-0 with Minnesota in an MLS match.
Mariners continue shaping roster ahead of season opener
With the MLB season opener approaching, the Seattle Mariners continue active work on finalizing their Opening Day roster. On Sunday, five more roster moves were announced, bringing the team closer to the coveted 26-man limit. These decisions, as always, combine front-office strategy and impressions from spring training play.
As reported by Seattle Sports, the club optioned three players to the minors: catcher Johnny Pereda and pitchers Cole Wilcox and Yosver Zulueta — all to Triple-A Tacoma. In addition, first base/outfielder Connor Joe and infield prospect Brock Rodden were sent to minor-league camp. These moves trimmed the Mariners’ spring roster to 31 players, meaning a few more tough decisions will follow in the coming days to get down to the 26-player Opening Day limit.
A key point among these moves was the decision at backup catcher. Veteran Mitch Garver, team insider Shannon Drayer reported, will head into the regular season as the backup to star Cal Raleigh. That means Johnny Pereda, acquired in January from Minnesota, despite his experience, could not secure a roster spot. In spring training he hit just .200. For context: “hitting .200” in baseball means a player records hits in 20% of his at-bats, which is considered a low mark for a major-league player.
On the other hand, the moves involving pitchers Cole Wilcox and Yosver Zulueta look more like tactical assignments to gain regular game reps than definitive exclusions from plans. Both right-handers showed impressive elements in the Cactus League (the preseason league where teams play exhibition games in Arizona). Wilcox, acquired from Tampa Bay in November, struck out 11 over 8.1 innings. Mariners manager Scott Servais (the article mistakenly mentioned Dan Wilson, who is a former catcher, not the current manager) previously noted that “his stuff was electric” and that he “opened a lot of eyes.” Zulueta, acquired in a trade with Cincinnati, also recorded 10 strikeouts over seven innings. A strikeout is when a pitcher retires a batter with three called or swung strikes, a key indicator of a pitcher’s dominance.
Among position players, Connor Joe and Brock Rodden stood out. Six-year MLB veteran Joe, who signed a minor-league deal in February, had an excellent spring, hitting .362. However, despite that, he couldn’t crack the crowded Mariners roster. Prospect Brock Rodden, the 25th pick of the 2023 draft and ranked 18th in the club’s system by MLB Pipeline, also shone with a .361 spring average. Their assignment to minor-league camp is more about lack of roster spots at season start, and both remain on the club’s radar as possible call-ups in case of injury or to bolster the roster over the long season.
These roster moves are a standard procedure for any MLB club at the end of spring training. They reflect not only current player performance but also factors like option years (how many times a player can be sent to the minors without being exposed to waivers), contract obligations, and the team’s long-term development vision. The Mariners now must make five more cuts to reach the 26-man Opening Day limit. Decisions about players like Wilcox and Zulueta indicate the club sees future potential in them but believes they need more regular game action in Triple-A before debuting in MLB. For fans, this signals that roster depth is gradually increasing, creating healthy competition and options for the upcoming 162-game marathon.
Scoreless in Minnesota: Sounders and United fail to break through
In a match better remembered for solid goalkeeping than attacking football, the Seattle Sounders and Minnesota United played to a 0-0 draw. The game in St. Paul was a showcase of defensive discipline, but left fans without goals.
The standout performer for the Sounders was goalkeeper Andrew Thomas, who recorded his third consecutive clean sheet and his fourth in five starts this season. At 27, he confidently replaced veteran Stefan Frei, who moved into a backup role. Since the 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake in the first road match, Thomas has not conceded, including a shutout in the season opener against the Colorado Rapids. His counterpart, Drake Callender, also impressed, saving all shots he faced and earning his second clean sheet in his debut season for Minnesota. Callender, acquired in the offseason in a trade involving Dayne St. Clair from Inter Miami, brought experience from 92 matches started since 2022. As noted in the Seattle Sports report, the first half featured only a single save by Thomas, underscoring the cautious approach of both sides.
For the Sounders (3-1-1) the draw ended a run of back-to-back 1-0 road wins over St. Louis City and San Jose Earthquakes. A positive from the match was the return of Jordan Morris, who was injured in the opener and came on as a substitute in the 65th minute alongside Jesús Ferreira and 18-year-old midfielder Snyder Brunell. Minnesota United (1-2-2), for its part, sought to rebound from two heavy away defeats by Nashville and Vancouver with a combined score of 9-1. Last season’s history added spice: Minnesota won all regular-season meetings and then eliminated the Sounders from the playoffs in the first round, winning twice at home on penalties after scoreless and drawn games in regulation.
The match outcome has several important implications. For the Sounders, it confirms defensive reliability with the new starting keeper, a key factor over a long season. However, the lack of goals raises questions about attacking efficiency, especially on the road. Morris’s return should add firepower to the offense. For Minnesota, the scoreless draw is a step toward stabilizing after tough defeats, but finishing chances remain a problem (just one goal in the last three matches). Both teams now prepare for their next away games on April 4: Seattle travels to Houston to face the Dynamo, and Minnesota heads to Los Angeles to play the Galaxy. In the context of the full season, matches where points are earned mainly on defense often prove decisive in the race for playoff spots, especially with the upcoming MLS format changes in 2027.
Goalless draw: Minnesota and Seattle finish scoreless
In a match better remembered for strong goalkeeping than attacking play, Minnesota United and the Seattle Sounders shared a 0-0 draw. The main heroes were the keepers for both teams, who denied the few dangerous moments that arose.
The MLS contest was tactically disciplined but light on clear scoring opportunities. As reported by CBS News, Seattle’s keeper Andrew Thomas, who replaced veteran Stefan Frei in the starting lineup, recorded his third straight clean sheet and his fourth clean sheet in five starts this season. The 27-year-old has not conceded since the 2-1 defeat to Real Salt Lake in the first road game. His counterpart, Drake Callender, also proved reliable, saving every shot and posting his second shutout in his debut season for Minnesota. Callender joined the club in the offseason via trade from Inter Miami, where he had been the starting goalkeeper since 2022.
A key moment for the Sounders was the return of Jordan Morris, who picked up an injury in the season opener. The forward came on in the 65th minute alongside Jesús Ferreira and 18-year-old midfielder Snyder Brunell. Fresh legs, however, could not change the score. The teams approached the match with different momentum: Seattle rode a streak of two consecutive 1-0 road wins, while Minnesota sought recovery after two heavy away defeats with a combined score of 1-9.
This matchup also has recent history. Last season Minnesota beat Seattle twice in the regular season and then eliminated them from the playoffs in the first round. Interestingly, in that best-of-two series the teams also battled fiercely: two games ended level in regulation time (0-0 and 3-3), and the outcomes were decided by penalty shootouts. This time, neither side prevailed, and the points were shared. Both teams continue their MLS campaigns on April 4: Seattle visits Houston Dynamo, and Minnesota plays Los Angeles Galaxy.
