Nearly two months after his Giants career came to a close, Hunter Strickland may have found a job as a closer again.
Strickland, who was non-tendered after a disappointing, self-destructive season in San Francisco, on Thursday signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners.
The hard-throwing right-hander lost his closer job last year with the Giants, but he immediately becomes one of the favorites to replace Edwin Diaz, the All-Star closer Seattle traded to the New York Mets. Strickland’s 14 saves last season may have been underwhelming, but they’re still more than any other current Mariners reliever.