Seattle Mariners minor-league pitcher Chris Mazza dares the team to spend share of reported $83.8 million profit on betterment of its farm system
The Seattle Mariners made an MLB-best profit of $83.8 million in 2022, according to a report by MLB Insider Bob Nightengale. However, Mariners minor-league pitcher Chris Mazza is not impressed.
Mazza, who has pitched for three major-league teams in parts of four MLB seasons, is currently on the staff of the Mariners' Triple-A farm club in Tacoma.
He replied to Nightengale's report of the organization's top profits by relaying conditions about the Mariners' top minor-league outpost, which plays just a few miles from Seattle's T-Mobile Park and also challenged the Seattle Mariners to do something about a matter as simple as a postgame clubhouse meal.
@BNightengale Mariners profited $83M last year! Yet playing in Tacoma last year we rarely had enough food for everyone to eat post game and multiple times post game food never showed up. Hopefully they take that $83 million and do better because your players deserve it.
"Hopefully they take that $83 million and do better because your players deserve it. -- Mariners minor-league pitcher Chris Mazza replying to MLB Insider Bob Nightengale's report of Seattle's MLB-leading $83.8 million profit last season
Mazza, who has a big-league career record of 3-3 with a 5.35 ERA and 1.56 WHIP while pitching for the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays, was signed to a minor-league contract by the Mariners and assigned to the Tacoma Rainers last June. It was his second stint with the Seattle organization, who also signed him to a minor-league deal in August 2018.
Last year with Tacoma, he went 4-3 with a 7.49 ERA and 1.69 WHIP. Perhaps his inflated numbers had something to do with a grumbly tummy, as he explained the ordeals of trying to get a ballpark meal after a game:
"...we rarely had enough food for everyone to eat post game and multiple times post game food never showed up."
Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners invested a guaranteed $210 million in young superstar centerfielder Julio Rodriguez on a 12-year contract extension, a total that could expand to $470 million over 17 years, according to Seattle-area television station KEPR.
Seattle Mariners investing in new foods for fans
While players in Tacoma may be going hungry, fans in Seattle won't have any problems grabbing a bite.
The organization announced a bevy of new food items including a "Big League Burger" created by the T-Mobile Park Executive Chef Javier Rosa that features, according to Seattle television station Fox 13:
"Fresh American Wagyu patty, chargrilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, American cheese, and chef’s secret housemade sauce."
They might go wild for a few of those burgers in the Tacoma clubhouse.