SEATTLE — The Mariners spent Monday morning trying to iron out the details on a trade to acquire shortstop Zack Cozart from Cincinnati before the 1 p.m. deadline for non-waiver deals.
It didn’t happen.
Multiple sources earlier indicated a deal seemed likely, although one characterized the situation as “fluid.” The Reds also hit a late snag in a trade that sent outfielder Jay Bruce to the New York Mets before restructuring that deal.
The only move the Mariners made prior to Monday’s deadline was to claim utilityman Michael Freeman from Arizona and option him to Triple-A Tacoma.
The Mariners cleared space for Freeman on their 40-man roster by designating Tacoma infielder Pat Kivlehan for assignment.
The Mariners did make three trades in recent days:
On Saturday, they sent left-handed starter Wade Miley to Baltimore for minor-league lefty Ariel Miranda, who was optioned to Tacoma.
On July 26, they acquired reliever Drew Storen from Toronto in a trade for reliever Joaquin Benoit.
On July 20, they acquired two minor-league prospects — first baseman/designated hitter Dan Vogelbach and right-hander Paul Blackburn — from the Chicago Cubs for lefty swingman Mike Montgomery and minor-league righty Jordan Pries.
Trades can still be made provided the players involved clear waivers, which give every other club the opportunity to acquire the player simply by taking over his contract.
Freeman Claimed
The Mariners acquired utilityman Michael Freeman from Arizona in a waiver claim and optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma.
Freeman, who turns 29 on Thursday, was designated for assignment Saturday after hitless in nine at-bats over eight games for the Diamondbacks following his July 17 promotion from Triple-A Reno.
The Mariners cleared space on their 40-man roster by designated Tacoma infielder Pat Kivlehan, 26, for assignment. He batted .293 with eight homers and 25 RBIs in 42 games after being reacquired from Texas in a May 29 trade.
Freeman is left-handed hitter who batted .317 this season with a .387 on-base percentage in 88 games at Reno.
Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto was Diamondbacks’ vice president for player personnel when they selected Freeman in the 11th-round pick of the 2010 MLB Draft.
