The Mariners thinned their potential crowd of catchers at Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday by trading veteran Jesus Sucre to Tampa Bay for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Sucre, 28, became expendable Jan. 26 after the Mariners acquired veteran Tuffy Gosewisch, 33, from Atlanta in a waiver claim. The preference for Gosewisch stemmed from roster flexibility — Gosewisch still had one option remaining.
Sucre is out of options, which meant he had to clear waivers before he could be sent to the minors. Both players are regarded as solid catch-and-throw receivers who contribute little offense.