The Mariners are playing very w

The struggling New York Mets made a couple of roster changes Friday Adidas Nolan Patrick Jersey , cutting Hansel Robles and demoting fellow reliever Paul Sewald to the minor leagues.

Right-hander Drew Smith and outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski were called up from Triple-A Las Vegas before the opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Robles was designated for assignment, removing him from the 40-man roster. New York has seven days to trade, release or send him outright to the minors. The right-hander was 2-2 with a 5.03 ERA in 16 appearances during his fourth season with the Mets. He allowed seven home runs and walked 10 in 19 2/3 innings.

”Hansel’s been with us quite a while. We’ve seen him pitch well. We’ve seen him pitch less well. We’ve got a number of other young relievers, some of whom we acquired last year at the trade deadline, we want to take a look at,” general manager Sandy Alderson said. ”So we just felt it was time to take a look at a couple of additional people. We’re excited to see what Drew Smith can do for us.”

Sewald and fellow right-hander Chris Flexen were optioned to Las Vegas following Thursday’s loss at Colorado. Sewald was 0-4 with a 4.85 ERA in 26 games, and Flexen had an 11.57 ERA in 2 1/3 innings.

Smith, obtained from Tampa Bay last July for first baseman Lucas Duda, was 4-1 with three saves and a 2.88 ERA in 23 combined games at Double-A Binghamton and Las Vegas this year.

Kaczmarski was batting .346 with a .416 on-base percentage in 33 combined games between Class A St. Lucie and Las Vegas. He missed time while recovering from hernia surgery.

Smith and Kaczmarski were both looking to make their major league debuts.

New York began the day 31-41 and fourth in the NL East after losing 20 of its previous 26 games

”Given where we are currently, realistically, I think it’s important for us to see what other people can do,” Alderson said. ”Drew Smith, Kaczmarski, let’s see what they can do within the framework of trying to win some games immediately over the next few weeks. But what we’re trying to do is make sure we’re as competitive as we can possibly be over the next couple of weeks while at the same time not being afraid to try out new faces.”

In another move, injured reliever A.J. Ramos (right shoulder surgery) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

—

The Seattle Mariners signed general manager Jerry Dipoto to a multiyear contract extension on Friday, a reward for the club being on track to end the longest playoff drought in the four major professional sports in the U.S.

The agreement comes with the Mariners 24 games above .500, and striving to make the postseason for the first time since 2001.

”We’re obviously happy with the work he’s done so far and look forward to the next several years as well,” team president and CEO Kevin Mather said. ”We are having some success on the field, but when I said the work he has done so far, I’m referring to day one. We hired him Sept. 28, 2015 and he hasn’t stopped since the day he got here.”

Since the start of the 2016 season, Dipoto’s first full year Adidas Claude Giroux Jersey , the Mariners have the eighth-best record in the majors at 220-192. Seattle’s 56-32 start through 88 games is tied for the second-best mark in franchise history. Only the 2001 team that tied the major league mark for most wins in a season with 116 victories surpassed the start of the 2018 Mariners.

”This is a no-brainer for me,” Dipoto said. ”I told you all when I got here that this was a dream job for me. It’s a great market in a city that is starved to win, with an opportunity to be creative.”

While there are still issues in the farm system, Dipoto has succeeded in making the major league product better. He has turned over a roster that had gotten old and added key younger pieces like Mitch Haniger, Jean Segura and Dee Gordon, who are major contributors in Seattle’s start to this season.

Dipoto also has locked up key parts of Seattle’s core for the next several seasons, either through club control through arbitration or long-term extensions. Seattle’s current starting rotation is under contract through the 2019 season and the only everyday player without club control beyond this season is designated hitter Nelson Cruz.

When Dipoto took over in 2015, the Mariners were looking for stability after a tough finish to Jack Zduriencik’s tenure with the club. Dipoto himself was trying to rebuild his own career after a less than amicable departure from the Los Angeles Angels amid conflict with manager Mike Scioscia.

Dipoto made numerous moves in his first year with Seattle, starting the roster churn that added more youth to the club. Seattle won 86 games in 2016 before backsliding to 78-84 last year amid numerous injuries to the pitching staff.

Seattle was thought to be a fringe playoff contender this year but is in the thick of the hunt nearing the All-Star break.

”My time here – the 2 1/2 years – has, I think, gone just as well as I hoped it could go, provided we finish strong,” Dipoto said.

”It takes a village to build a baseball organization, and we’ve got a pretty good village. This is a new day to move forward. The Mariners are playing very well. I’m thrilled for this group, but I’m more thrilled that this group has an opportunity to continue to do what they’re doing.”

With Dipoto locked up, the focus turns to manager Scott Servais, whose contract is up at the end of the 2018 season.

”Scott has been my partner for far longer than we’ve been here,” Dipoto said. ”Whether it be dreaming about what we wanted to create as a franchise, whether it be in player development and what we are doing in scouting, or now culminating with how to build a major league roster and how to guide it, I don’t envision a time where I’m doing my job without him doing his job.”

—