Baseball
M’s sign top draft picks Cijntje, Sloan
To sign, they wore sharp-fitting suits. To shag, they changed into team-issued workout gear.
And what a whirlwind it was for pitchers Jurrangelo Cijntje and Ryan Sloan, the Mariners’ top draft picks, during their introduction to Seattle on Tuesday at T-Mobile Park.
After signing their first professional contracts earlier in the day, Cijntje and Sloan put on Mariners shorts and shirts and the chance to hang with Mariners pitchers George Kirby and Bryce Miller in the outfield grass during batting practice.
They also got to meet a certain Mariners luminary.
“I mean, I just saw Ichiro. I talked to him and got to shake his hand,” said a beaming Cijntje, sitting inside the home dugout for his first interview as a pro ballplayer.
Cijntje (pronounced SAIN-jah), the Mariners’ first-round pick (No. 15 overall) last week, is a 21-year-old ambidextrous pitcher out of Mississippi State by way of Curacao. A natural left-hander, he throws in the mid-90s from the right side and the low-90s from the left, and he can speak four languages (Papiamentu, Dutch, English, Spanish).
Cijntje, listed at 5-feet-11 and 200 pounds, signed for a bonus of $4.88 million, slot value for the No. 15 pick.
His parents, his little sister and his cousin joined him during his Seattle tour, and he plans to purchase a house for his family back home in Curacao.
“And if I can play (in the majors) for a couple years, then I will see if I can bring them here and get a house in Seattle so they watch me pitch here,” he said.
The 18-year-old Sloan, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander out of York (Illinois) High School, signed for a $3 million bonus, well above the slot value ($1.64 million) for the 55th pick to lure him away from his commitment to pitch at Wake Forest.
He’s been lauded for his maturity on and off the mound, and that stood out in his first interview in the Mariners dugout too.
“I just think there’s a ton of room for improvement for me,” he said. “I think I have a really solid baseline of skills. But being in an organization that has a track [record] of improving pitchers, I think it’s going to be really special to be able to pick the brains of everyone and really develop myself as a pitcher.”
Cijntje and Sloan got to spend some time together during their two-day tour of Seattle, which included a stop at Pike Place Market — where they made their first throws (fish, naturally) as pros.
Sloan marveled at the idea of Cijntje being able to throw effectively with both arms.
“How do you even do that?” Sloan asked. “Like, I don’t even want to know. But he’s a super cool guy. He’s very easy to talk to, like very down to earth. I like being around people that have the same kind of goals as me.”
Football
Seahawks LBs Dodson, Baker pass physicals
The Seahawks got some good news as veterans officially reported for training camp Tuesday, learning that linebackers Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker — each signed as free agents in March — had passed their physicals and will be ready for practice.
Each were placed on the physically unable to perform list with lingering injuries that held them out of the offseason program. The two are healthy and expected to begin working with the first-team defense at inside linebacker. Dodson, formerly of the Bills, was signed in March and is expected to play middle linebacker, while Baker, formerly of Miami, is expected to play weakside linebacker.
Reserve cornerback Lance Boykin also passed his physical.
The Seahawks also announced they signed free-agent receiver Marcus Simms and rookie offensive tackle Jalen Sundell. That fills out their 90-man training camp roster. The signing of Simms, 26, was reported last week but was finally made official. He played at West Virginia and this spring for Michigan in the UFL. Sundell went undrafted out of North Dakota State, where he started all 15 games at left tackle last year, and the previous three years started at center.
The Seahawks earlier announced that receiver Dee Williams and guard Anthony Bradford passed physicals and can practice.
Seven players remain on either PUP or non-football injury lists and are not yet eligible for practice — tackle Abraham Lucas, nose tackle Cameron Young, safety Jerrick Reed II, linebackers Drake Thomas and Easton Gibbs and cornerbacks D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett.
Players can come off those lists at any time.
Golf
Bradley named U.S. Ryder Cup vice captain
FRISCO, Texas — U.S. captain Keegan Bradley has selected Webb Simpson as his first vice captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup, the PGA announced Tuesday.
Simpson won the 2012 U.S. Open and is a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour. The 38-year-old North Carolinan competed in the Ryder Cup in 2012, 2014 and 2018 and has played in the Presidents Cup three times.
“Webb is someone who I have long admired and respected as a competitor and friend,” Bradley said. “He possesses a wealth of team golf experience and knows what it takes to win. Webb will be a valuable member of our leadership team and a trusted resource for me as we prepare for Bethpage Black next September.”
The Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 26-28, 2025, at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. Europe has won 10 of the last 14 competitions.
“I am honored to be chosen by Keegan to serve as a vice captain in 2025,” Simpson said. “Competing in three Ryder Cups will forever be among my career highlights. I have no doubt that Keegan will be a fantastic captain and a tremendous leader, and could not be more excited to get to work as we seek to reclaim the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.”
