The Mariners granted Romero his release Friday to allow him to pursue an opportunity to play in Japan.

Romero played in just nine games with the Mariners in 2016 and evidently had little hope for an expanded role next season. The 28-year-old has a strong track record of success at the Triple-A level, with a .299/.347/.514 line in parts of four seasons, but those numbers come with the grain of salt that accompanies all numbers posted in the Pacific Coast League.