A former key contributor to the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen has officially found his next team, marking the beginning of a new chapter in what has been a roller-coaster career over the past two seasons. Right-hander Collin Snider, who spent 2024 and 2025 moving between major league success and injury-related setbacks, has agreed to a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs. The news broke Wednesday through a social media announcement shared by both Snider and Tread Athletics, the specialized training facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he spends his offseasons refining mechanics, adding velocity, and working on injury prevention.
For Mariners fans, this move carries a blend of nostalgia, surprise, and inevitability. Snider’s time in Seattle was short, but he left an impression—especially during the 2024 season, when he became one of the most reliable arms in a bullpen that helped fuel the Mariners’ competitive push that year. In that season, Snider delivered outstanding results, posting a 1.94 ERA, a 1.176 WHIP, and striking out 47 batters with only 13 walks across 42 relief appearances, totaling 41 2/3 innings. His performance equated to 0.9 fWAR, making him one of the most efficient and valuable middle relievers on the roster.
What made Snider so effective in 2024 was a combination of pinpoint command, a late-moving fastball that attacked the top of the strike zone, and a slider that played exceptionally well against right-handed hitters. Mariners pitching coaches frequently commented on his “fearless” approach: he was willing to challenge hitters, stay in the zone, and work quickly—something that not only helped shorten games but also helped the bullpen maintain stability in high-leverage situations. For a team that relied heavily on its pitching staff to remain in contention, Snider’s emergence was a timely gift.
But baseball is unforgiving, and as quickly as success arrives, it can disappear just as fast. The 2025 season served as a stark contrast for Snider, who never quite found the consistency or health that powered his breakout the year before. He appeared in 24 games for Seattle in the big leagues before his season was derailed, posting a 5.47 ERA, a 1.443 WHIP, and recording 24 strikeouts to just six walks over 26 1/3 innings. Interestingly, despite the outward struggles, he still accumulated 0.7 fWAR, demonstrating that even while navigating difficulties, he remained capable of generating value.
The turning point for Snider came in June, when he was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm flexor strain—a concerning diagnosis for any pitcher, often hinting at deeper issues within the elbow. Seattle aimed to take a cautious approach, allowing Snider time to heal and rebuild strength. He began a rehab assignment on July 5 with Triple-A Tacoma, and while the organization hoped he could return to form and rejoin the bullpen shortly thereafter, the reality proved more complicated.
Even once healthy enough to pitch, Snider struggled to regain his footing. His stuff appeared diminished at times, and hitters at the Triple-A level capitalized. Seattle reinstated him from the IL later in July, but the front office made a critical roster decision that signaled the direction of Snider’s future with the club. On July 30, the Mariners designated him for assignment to create space for newly acquired reliever Caleb Ferguson, whom Seattle brought in at the trade deadline in an attempt to bolster the bullpen for another postseason chase.
Snider remained with the Tacoma Rainiers for the rest of the season, but his struggles continued. In 25 Triple-A appearances, he posted an 8.06 ERA and 1.64 WHIP, numbers that reflect a pitcher battling not only mechanical inconsistencies but also the mental challenges that come with injury recovery and mid-season role changes. These results likely influenced Seattle’s decision-making heading into the offseason, and when the year concluded, Snider entered free agency looking for a fresh start.
His journey to the Mariners began back in February 2024, when Seattle claimed him off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Before that, Snider was a 12th-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in the 2017 MLB Draft, and he made his major league debut with Kansas City, appearing in 62 MLB games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. His early career showed flashes of potential, but injuries and inconsistency prevented him from locking down a long-term role. Seattle’s coaching staff was able to get the most out of him in 2024, but sustaining that success proved challenging.
Now Snider joins a Chicago Cubs organization that has developed a reputation in recent years for unearthing undervalued bullpen arms—particularly ones that previously spent time in Seattle. The Cubs’ front office has shown an ability to identify relievers with strong underlying metrics, mechanical traits that can be optimized, or simple untapped potential. Two recent examples underline this:
Tyson Miller, after being acquired from the Mariners in a minor trade, posted a 2.15 ERA across 49 appearances for the Cubs in 2024, becoming a key setup man.
Drew Pomeranz, long considered a veteran arm past his prime, emerged as one of Chicago’s top relievers in 2025 after being selected from the Tacoma Rainiers roster in April. He posted a 2.17 ERA across 57 appearances, cementing himself as a vital part of the bullpen.
Given this pattern, Snider’s move to Chicago is far from random. The Cubs have an eye for spotting mechanical tweaks and pitch-shape adjustments that can rejuvenate careers. For Snider, who has already shown the ability to dominate major league hitters when healthy and properly dialed in, Chicago may represent the ideal environment to rediscover his best form.
For the Mariners, Snider’s departure reflects the difficult nature of bullpen management in today’s game. Relievers can be wildly inconsistent year-to-year, and roster flexibility often forces tough decisions. Seattle undoubtedly appreciated what Snider gave them during 2024, but baseball’s business side—injuries, roster spots, competitive windows—ultimately dictated a parting of ways.
For Snider, the deal with the Cubs offers opportunity, structure, and the chance to rewrite the story of the past year. If he regains the velocity and command that made him a force in 2024, he could become yet another Mariners-to-Cubs reliever success story.
