Mariners' Cody Martin: Designated for assignment Wednesday

Martin was designated for assignment Wednesday.

Analysis:

With the Mariners acquiring outfielder Mallex Smith and reliever Shae Simmons via trade Wednesday, Martin's spot on the 40-man roster became expendable. Martin shuttled between Triple-A Tacoma and the big club last season, working mostly as a spot starter or mop-up man out of the bullpen during his time with the Mariners. The right-hander struggled to keep the ball in the yard, and though he finished with a respectable 3.86 ERA over 25.2 innings, Martin's underwhelming repertoire made him a rather low-upside roster option. He shouldn't find trouble landing a spring training invite from another club if he's unable to claim a 40-man spot elsewhere.