Mariners add a right-handed reliever in former second-round pick JT Chargois

Add another hard-throwing reliever with some Major League experience to the plethora of pitchers reporting to the Mariners’ spring training complex Feb. 17.

Tuesday, the team announced it had signed right-hander JT Chargois to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Chargois, 30, spent last season pitching in Japan for Tohuku Rakuten. He made 31 appearances, posting a 0-3 record with 5.81 ERA, one save and five holds. In 26 1/3 innings, he struck out 19 batters and walked 14.

Before his stint in Japan, Chargois spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Dodgers after being claimed off waivers during spring training of 2018. Over parts of those two seasons, he made 60 relief appearances, posting a 3-4 record with a 4.53 ERA. In 53 2/3 innings, he struck out 68 batters and walked 20.

Chargois was a second-round draft choice in the 2012 draft out of Rice University. He was a first baseman for the Owls and then started pitching in relief in the Cape Cod League. He blossomed into Rice’s closer, flashing a high-90s fastball and power slider. He dealt with a variety of injuries early in his professional career.

Chargois is a sinker-slider pitcher who is heavily reliant on his slider. He has a similar profile and hair style to former Mariners reliever Cory Gearrin, but with a better pace in between pitches.

Per MLB Statcast data, Chargois threw his slider 171 times in 301 total pitches. The pitch averaged 86.8 mph, producing swings and misses 51% of the time with opponents hitting .196 against the pitch. His sinker averaged 96.2 mph and surrendered a .450 batting average. In 2018, his slider was 49.5% of his 545 pitches with a 48% swing-and-miss rate.