SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Even through the scratchiness of a cell phone connection, the good-natured, upbeat personality of Danny Hultzen is unmistakeable. You can feel him smiling as he’s talking, knowing that’s what he does in most situations even if he’s plenty of reasons to trend the other way. Once the Mariners’ top pitching prospect and former No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 draft, he’s now a man without a team and a college student again.
On Tuesday, Hultzen and 25 other players in the Mariners’ minor league system were granted free agency based on Major League Baseball’s deadline following the end of the season.