The Mariners Thursday signed OF Cole Gillespie, RHP Matt Palmer and RHP Ramon Ramirez to minor league contracts and invited them to spring training. The Mariners did not place any of the three on the team’s 40-man roster. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Peoria, AZ., Feb. 13 and position players Feb. 17.
Gillespie, 29, has played all three outfield positions in parts of three seasons in the majors with Arizona (2010-2011), San Francisco (2013) and Chicago-NL (2013). He was selected by Milwaukee in the third round of the 2006 June draft out of Oregon State University.
Gillespie helped lead the Beavers to the 2006 NCAA College World Series Championship and was the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He is a native of the Portland suburb of West Linn.
Palmer, 34, has appeared in 63 major league games (20 starts) with San Francisco (2008), Los Angeles Angels (2009-2011) and San Diego (2012). Last season, he went 6-8 with a 3.84 ERA (57 ER, 133.2 IP) in 25 appearances (22 starts) with AAA Albuquerque in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He was selected by San Francisco in the 31st round of the 2002 June draft out of Missouri State University.
Ramirez, 32, has pitched in parts of eight seasons in the Colorado (2006-2007), Kansas City (2008), Boston (2009-2010), San Francisco (2010-2011, 2013) and New York Mets organizations (2012). He was a member of the Giants 2010 World Championship squad, posting a 0.67 ERA (2 ER, 27.0 IP) in 25 relief appearances during the final two months of the season.
Ramirez was originally signed by Texas as a 16-year-old outfielder, but was converted to pitcher, and did not make his professional debut until 2003 in the New York Yankees organization.