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Mariners cut Kole Calhoun, return Rule 5 pick Chris Clarke

The Seattle Mariners released outfielder Kole Calhoun and returned right-hander Chris Clarke to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Calhoun, 35, batted .250 with two RBIs in 12 games this spring with the Mariners, who signed him Feb. 23.

The 11-year MLB veteran and former Gold Glove winner batted just .196 with 12 homers, 49 RBIs and 136 strikeouts in 125 games last season with the Texas Rangers.

Calhoun is a lifetime .243/.316/.418 hitter with 173 home runs and 557 RBIs in 1,196 games with the Los Angeles Angels (2012-19), Arizona Diamondbacks (2020-21) and Rangers.

Clarke, 24, posted a 5.40 ERA in seven relief appearances with the Mariners this spring.

He was selected by the Mariners with the 22nd pick in the major league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 draft Dec. 7. The 6-foot-7 pitcher originally was selected by the Cubs in the fourth round of the 2019 draft out of Southern California.

Reuters contributed to this report.