Around this time last year, the Seattle Mariners quietly added right-handed pitcher Dylan File on a minor-league contract, a move that barely registered outside of organizational transaction logs. The signing wasn’t meant to make headlines or signal a bold new direction for the franchise. Instead, it was a calculated depth move—one designed to stabilize the Mariners’ minor-league pitching ranks and ensure their upper-level affiliates had a dependable arm capable of taking the ball every fifth day.
In many respects, the Mariners got exactly what they were looking for.
File, who originally entered professional baseball as a 21st-round draft selection by the Milwaukee Brewers, has spent nearly a decade navigating the grind of affiliated minor-league baseball. Over the past nine years, he has worn multiple uniforms, pitched in countless ballparks, and logged thousands of miles on buses, all without ever receiving the call to the major leagues. His career path is a familiar one in professional baseball: steady, persistent, and largely out of the spotlight.
During the 2024 season, File served as a workhorse within Seattle’s farm system. Splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A, he accumulated a combined 130 1/3 innings—no small feat in an era when durability has become increasingly rare. While his innings total underscored his reliability, it was also clear that he wasn’t viewed as a legitimate candidate for Seattle’s major-league rotation. Despite injuries and roster shuffling throughout the season, File remained firmly in the background, valued more for his stability than for any perceived upside.
That role, while important, comes with limitations. Pitchers like File—those who can reliably start games, manage innings, and provide structure to a minor-league staff—are incredibly valuable at the Triple-A level. They help protect prospects, absorb innings during long seasons, and ensure affiliates remain competitive. But they also exist in a precarious space on the roster. Without standout stuff or eye-catching strikeout numbers, they are often passed over when big-league opportunities arise.
As the 2024 season wound down, the Mariners faced a familiar organizational dilemma. They appreciated File’s contributions, but retaining him required allowing him to test free agency. At 29 years old, File was no longer a developing prospect, and roster flexibility mattered. Whether or not Seattle engaged seriously in negotiations to bring him back, the reality was clear: File believed his chances of advancing his career were better elsewhere.
That belief led him to a familiar opponent.
According to transaction records listed on his official roster page, File signed a minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers on December 19. The move flew under the radar initially, surfacing publicly only after the holiday slowdown delayed much of the offseason news cycle. By the time it appeared, many fans had already shifted their attention toward arbitration deadlines and higher-profile free-agent signings.
Still, the decision carries intrigue—particularly given Detroit’s recent postseason clash with Seattle in the American League playoffs.
During his time with the Mariners organization, File made 28 appearances, 24 of them at the Double-A level. Over those outings, he posted a 4.70 earned run average, surrendering 135 hits while striking out 100 batters. The numbers paint a picture of a pitcher who relies more on contact management than overpowering velocity. His strikeout rate, in particular, doesn’t suggest a clear path to immediate major-league success.
But baseball careers are rarely shaped by statistics alone.
For players on the margins, opportunity often matters as much as performance. Being in the right organization at the right moment—when injuries strike, depth is tested, or roster decisions force improvisation—can change everything. For File, Detroit may represent that opening.
Among American League contenders, the Tigers arguably present one of the more accessible pitching landscapes for a veteran minor leaguer. While the Mariners boast one of the deepest and most established rotations in baseball, Detroit’s situation is less settled. The Tigers have promising arms, but they also lack the same level of surplus depth, especially beyond their top options.
Of course, a major-league debut wouldn’t come easily. It would likely require a combination of circumstances: injuries to rotation regulars, underperformance from younger pitchers, or perhaps even a blockbuster move involving ace Tarik Skubal. Still, compared to the uphill battle File faced in Seattle, Detroit offers a slightly clearer path—one where a solid stretch of Triple-A performances could at least put him on the radar.
For File, this isn’t about stardom or long-term security. At this stage of his career, it’s about keeping the door open. Every season in professional baseball is an audition, and every inning matters. His journey through the minors has already tested his perseverance, and yet he continues to find organizations willing to invest in his reliability.
There’s something quietly admirable about that.
While prospects often dominate conversations with their velocity spikes and eye-popping analytics, players like File serve as the backbone of professional baseball. They fill rotations, mentor younger arms, and ensure teams can survive the marathon of a 162-game season. Without them, the system collapses under its own weight.
Whether this season finally brings File his long-awaited major-league debut remains to be seen. The odds are slim, as they always are for pitchers who have spent nearly a decade outside the spotlight. But baseball has a way of surprising even its most patient participants.
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Over the next nine months, File will once again take the mound with something to prove. Every start will be another chapter in a career defined by persistence rather than hype. And if the right moment arrives—if opportunity meets preparation—his long journey through the minors may finally lead him to a major-league mound.
