Pitcher Randy Wolf went from landing a spot in the Seattle Mariners’ rotation to asking for his release — all in one day.
After the 37-year-old Wolf learned that he had won a starting spot with the Mariners on Tuesday, he was asked to sign a contract that essentially gave the team an option of releasing him within 45 days without paying him the full-season salary of $1 million.
Wolfe balked at signing the advanced-consent contract and the Mariners granted him his release. He came to camp with a minor-league contract after undergoing Tommy John elbow ligament reconstruction surgery.
“I was principally objected to that simply because we negotiated in good faith in February on a team-friendly contract, if I were to make the team,” Wolf said, according to The Seattle Times. “I felt like I came in amazing shape, I pitched great and I earned a spot on the team. They told me I earned the spot on team.
“But to me, that advanced consent thing is kind of renegotiating a contract so I told them I wouldn’t sign in and I disagreed with it.”
With Mariners starters Hisashi Iwakuma and Taijuan Walker injured to start the season and not expected to return until late April, Wolfe was concerned that he would lose his spot once the two came back.
The left-hander pitched well during the spring, posting a 4.26 ERA with nine strikeouts and seven walks in 19 innings.
With Wolfe’s departure, the Mariners likely will hand the vacant spot in the rotation to Blake Beaven or Roenis Elias to start the season.
That leaves Wolfe temporarily without a job. He hopes to catch on with another major-league team.