News
Jakubauskas claimed by Pirates
Right-hander picked up after being waived by Mariners
By Jim Street / MLB.com
11/20/09 8:44 PM EST
The Mariners set their 40-man roster on Friday and a familiar name was not on it.Right-handed reliever Chris Jakubauskas was placed on waivers in the morning and claimed by the Pirates.
In other roster moves, outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, right-handed pitchers Danny Cortes, Ricky Orta, JC Ramirez and Anthony Varvaro were added to the 40-man. Left-handed pitcher Ryan Feierabend and right-hander Sean White were reinstated from the 60-day disabled list, and infielder Josh Wilson was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.
The Mariners lost another pitcher earlier in the day, when the Red Sox claimed Robert Manual, a right-hander acquired from the Reds on July 29 for outfielder Wladimir Balentien. Manual went 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA and four saves in 15 relief appearances for Tacoma.
The transactions leave Seattle's roster at 37 players.
Acquired in the three-team, 12-player trade at last year's Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, the 22-year-old Carrera led the Southern League with a .337 batting average and on-base percentage (.441) in 91 games with Double-A West Tennessee, and recently was named to the Topps Double-A All-Star team.
Feierabend, 24, who missed the entire 2009 season after having Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in his left elbow, has appeared in 25 big league games for the Mariners. He has resumed workouts in Peoria.
General manager Jack Zduriencik said it was "tough" putting both Jakubauskas and Manual on waivers and risk losing them, but spots were needed on the roster to protect other players from the Rule 5 Draft.
Jakubauskas, contacted at his offseason home in Tennessee, said he received a phone call from the Mariners about noon telling him that he had been put on waivers.
"It was kind of a shock," he said. "I didn't see it coming."
Almost an hour later, he received another call, this one from the Pirates, informing him that he would be continuing his career in the National League.
"I guess 'bittersweet' is the best way to describe it," he said. "I still have a job, but it's tough when you develop so many friendships with another team, and then have to leave.
"It's kind of an interesting way to start the weekend, but the game is what it is. It's a numbers game and my number is one that didn't get called. I'll just try to improve on what I did in Seattle."
A product of Independent Leagues, Jakubauskas reported to Spring Training last February as a non-roster invitee with only a remote chance of earning a spot on the Opening Day roster. But he kept getting hitters out and became one of the 12 pitchers that started the season on manager Don Wakamatsu's staff.
The affable hurler spent most of the season with Seattle, posting a 6-7 record and 5.32 ERA in 35 appearances, including eight starts.
He was expecting to return to the Mariners in 2010, but now has to change plans.
His knowledge of Pittsburgh and the Pirates is limited, so Jakubauskas said he already has placed a call to former Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson to get some information.
"Hopefully he gets back to me and we can chit-chat about things I should do in Pittsburgh," he said. "I don't know too much about the city or the team."
Jim Street is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
