Former Seattle Mariners reliever Matt Festa has been designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs, according to the team.
The Cubs needed the roster spot in order to make room for reliever Ryan Pressly, who they just acquired from the Houston Astros.
The 31-year-old Festa made his major league debut with the Mariners back in 2018 and then appeared in games in that season, 2019, 2022 and 2023. He was an integral part of the team’s bullpen in 2022, appearing in 53 games as the M’s advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2001. He pitched to a respectable 4.17 ERA, joining Paul Sewald, Andres Munoz, Penn Murfee and Matt Brash as key members of that year’s pen.
Since leaving the Mariners, Festa has pitched for the New York Mets and Rangers. He made 19 appearances in 2024, with 18 of them coming for Texas. He had a 5.70 ERA.
The Rangers had designated Festa for assignment earlier this offseason. As a result of being DFA’d again, Festa could be traded, released or outrighted to the minor leagues.
The Mariners could attempt to bring Festa back, but the M’s do seem to have a full bullpen at the major league level. Munoz, Gregory Santos, Trent Thornton, and Collin Snider seem to be righties with guaranteed spots. Youngster Troy Taylor also showed well in his call-up last August and September, and Brash will be back from Tommy John surgery in April, according to reports.