Mariners need rotation help: 3 names to watch in August

It’s no secret the Seattle Mariners have one of the worst starting rotations in the Major Leagues. In fairness it’s not entirely their fault, but it’s still in shambles and needs to be repaired quickly if the M’s want a shot in 2017.

We could talk for a long while about how the preseason rotation for the Mariners was going to be headlined by a revamped Felix and an imposing Paxton. That 1-2 punch would be complimented by Drew Smyly who dominated the WBC, the strong and steady Iwakuma, and either Ariel Miranda or Yovani Gallardo.

We could do that, or we could acknowledge that the rotation didn’t turn out anything like that, and, miraculously, even after starting the most pitchers in the MLB, the M’s are 2 games above .500. If we do that though, we’ll also want to acknowledge that the current rotation will not carry Seattle to the Postseason.

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Jerry has already shown he isn’t going to shy around with August deals, as he has already made three, but none of those moves involved an answer for their biggest need. With Phelps heading to the DL for at least a couple of weeks, the Mariners may need to slide Erasmo Ramirez into that relieving role where he’s shown himself solid in 2017. The only issue is, that creates an immediate hole in the rotation. Could this mean Jerry Dipoto will get a starter soon? Only he can know for sure, but here are some names to watch as the Mariners stay in contention and need rotation help.