There’s a “brain drain” happening with regards to the Seattle Mariners organization. As a result of the M’s success in developing pitchers, other teams are now trying to poach resources away – and succeeding.

Minor league pitching coordinator Matt Pierpont announced that he was leaving the organization on Wednesday for a more prominent role with the St. Louis Cardinals.

To the entire Mariners org, I just want to say thank you. There are no words to describe how special these past four years have been. It was an honor to be a part of this organization and work alongside such incredible people.

Excited for the next chapter with the Cardinals.

Adam Jude of the Seattle Times added the following context to the situation:

For the second year in a row, the Mariners are losing a highly regarded minor league pitching coordinator.

Matt Pierpont was a finalist for several big-league pitching jobs over the past few weeks, and he ultimately takes over as the St. Louis Cardinals’ Director of Pitching …

Pierpont is probably not a name known to most fans, given that he wasn’t on the major league staff, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a big loss for the organization. The Mariners have done a good job over the last four years bringing guys to the big leagues, from Logan Gilbert (2021), George Kirby (2022), Bryce Miller (2023), and Bryan Woo (2023). Those four help make up arguably the best starting rotation in the big leagues.

Furthermore, Matt Brash and Troy Taylor have come up to find success in bullpen roles.

Miller put out a congratulatory message to Pierpont on social media as well.

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According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, former Seattle Mariners first baseman Ty France is a hot name on the free agent market this offseason.

Feinsand put the information out on social media:

Per sources, 10+ teams have interest in free agent Ty France, who has at least one guaranteed offer. France has primarily been a 1B, but he’s also played 2B & 3B. Word is he’s also willing to catch; he made the Padres as a utility man and 3rd-string catcher early in his career.

The note about catcher is kind of wild, and it’s fair to note his positional versatility, though he hasn’t played much of anything but first base since becoming a true mainstay with the Mariners in 2021.

After being acquired by the Mariners during the COVID 2020 season, he was a firm part of the team’s rebuild, earning an All-Star appearance in 2022 and helping the team break the long playoff drought.

However, France slumped to a poor 2023 and also struggled in 2024 before being designated for assignment in July. He latched on with the Cincinnati Reds for the final 52 games of the season.

Lifetime, France is a .263 hitter. He hit .250 with the Mariners in 2023 but saw his power dissipate, hitting only 12 homers. He had just eight homers in 88 games for Seattle this year. He did hit five in Cincinnati, and at the age of 30, there’s reason to believe that a change of scenery might help him.

Regardless of where he ends up, M’s fans will always root for France given what he meant to the organization at a critical time in its development.

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A pregnant Seattle meteorologist stormed back against a critic who claimed that her form-fitting outfits that showed off her baby bump during live broadcasts “distracts” viewers.

Claire Anderson, who is 7-and-a-half-month pregnant, is a meteorologist for Fox 13 Seattle and showed off the demeaning email she received to her 10,000 TikTok followers earlier this month.

“Please, please, please, pack away form-fitting dresses until after the baby,” the viewer named Kathy wrote to Anderson. “Your mommy bump has gotten so big that your overall appearance distracts from your presentation.”

Kathy suggested to the TV presenter that it would be best to try “something loose and flowing” instead of the meteorologist’s form-fitting clothing she wears during each broadcast.

“You give some of the best presentations on TV, so you deserve the undistracted attention of the viewers,” the message read.

The body-shamer signed the email “very respectfully” to seemingly show she wasn’t being rude.

Anderson is due in Jan. 2025 and is her first child with husband Garret, who she married in Sept. 2023.

“Here’s the thing Kathy, I appreciate that, but remember we’re never supposed to comment on what women wear and look like,” Anderson said. “Especially when we’re pregnant.”

Anderson then gave a rundown of the cream-colored, fitted knee-length dress she wore that became the lightning rod for the negative comments.

“I don’t know, here’s the thing, she’s still got two months of this,” Anderson said in the clip calling out Kathy’s dislike of her appearance.

The Seattle native, who started working at the station in 2023, says she was “feeling great” when she picked out the dress but was surprised when she returned to her desk after her segment and discovered Kathy’s email.

“I come back, and I see that email, and I was like, ‘Oh man. Like, really? Bad stuff,” Anderson told Today.

Kathy’s email wasn’t the only one that Anderson received that criticized her for her attire but was the one that made the biggest impact.

Anderson recorded the short video on social media to bring up the conversation about women supporting women.

“It’s 2024, women support women, yet we still have the nastiest emails from women,” she told the outlet.

Anderson called out the critics for commenting on a woman’s pregnant body because they don’t know the full backstory of their life.

“My message was just like, ‘Guys, remember, we are in a time, in place, in the world, where we don’t need to be commenting on someone’s body unless you think it looks amazing,” Anderson said. “Unless someone asks you how they look, we don’t need to be commenting.”

“Especially in this day and age, fertility and being pregnant — people are open about it,” she added. “We don’t know how long did it take to get pregnant? How hard was it? Was it emotional? Was it hard for you? Are you having a good pregnancy? Are you having a hard time?”

Many comments under Anderson’s original TikTok were positive and supportive of the TV personality.

“I love love love when women wear their baby bump loud and proud!!!” one comment read.

“Respectfully (or maybe not) disagree with her. Show off that bump!!! ❤️❤️congrats!!” another wrote.

On Wednesday, Anderson was back in the studio, this time in a gold, long-sleeved dress showing off her bump in a pic posted to her Instagram story.