Hultzen signed with the Mariners out of Virginia for an $8.5 million contract that included a spot on the 40-man roster. He was 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings at Triple-A Tacoma in 2013. But Hultzen underwent surgery after the season to repair damage in his rotator cuff, shoulder capsule and labrum.