Mariners DFA Harang, mass celebrations erupt

I made that last part up. However, if everyone in Seattle was named Patrick Leary, then something like that would have taken place. That would be one weird city though. I mean, how would anyone communicate? By some sort of number system?

Anyway, Aaron Harang finally got the axe on Monday after his latest seven-run debacle of a start. Wow Patrick, you might say, by using the adjective “seven-run,” you vastly limited the scope of the starts you were referring to. In response, I would point out that in his last five starts with the Mariners, Harang gave up exactly seven 60 percent of the time. Three of those five starts were seven-run debacles! That’s horrifying. He gave up seven runs two other times in his tenure in Seattle, including another one as recently as July 10. What a weird trend, and what a terrible pitcher.

Needless to say, it’s great to see Harang gone and great to see Franklin Gutierrez deemed healthy again. Gutierrez will have a one-month audition to prove he’s worthy of keeping around next season. He’s facing an uphill battle, since he hasn’t stayed healthy for a long period of time since his first season in Seattle.

Keep smiling Taijuan. You could be a big leaguer soon – Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of one-month auditions, the Mariners now have only 37 of the spots on the 40-man roster filled, and with September call-ups around the corner, those openings could get filled in the next few days. The Friday rotation spot vacated by Harang is the most immediate need. That start will likely go to Brandon Maurer, but the Mariners could promote a starting pitcher from Tacoma to pitch the game.

The Rainiers rotation currently includes Taijuan Walker, Andrew Carraway, Blake Beavan, James Paxton and Hector Noesi. We can pretty much rule out Beavan, Noesi and Carraway. Beavan and Noesi make as much sense as Maurer but Maurer is already with the team, and Carraway isn’t ready for the show. That leaves Walker and Paxton. Both could easily make their debuts in September when the rosters expand if the the organization doesn’t shut either if them down. At this point, Maurer makes the most sense, since the start falls two days before the start of September.

As for the three available roster spots, Paxton and Walker could slide right into two of them if the Mariners want them to make some big league starts this year. That other spot would probably go to a position player, and the most likely Rainier seems to be Stefen Romero, who has been Tacoma’s most consistent hitter in 2013. Romero can play all over the place, and would be a valuable utility player in September if big leaguers get hurt.

At the end of the day, the important thing is Harang is gone and the entirety of Mariner nation can rest easy.