Mariners need rotation help: 3 names to watch in August

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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.

Option #1: Justin Verlander

Now, hold your horses, this isn’t a rumor, this isn’t anything even. It’s just a statement that he has cleared waivers, due to a massive contract, and if the Mariners really are scouring the market as they should be, then Verlander is bound to get a look.

Now, hold your horses part two, the name Justin Verlander is bound to make any and all baseball fans salivate and trigger memories of a 24-5 season where he posted a 2.40 ERA, led the league in almost every category, and won both the Cy Young award and the MVP.

Here’s the thing. That is not the Verlander the Mariners would be trading for. In 2017, Verlander is 7-7 with an ERA of 4.20. In his last six starts however, he has an ERA of 2.31, and if that Verlander decides to stick around down the stretch, he’d be a huge addition to any team.

The large downside that comes with acquiring Verlander, he is signed through the 2019 season, and set to make close to 30 million in the 2018-19 seasons. While the Mariners do have that money available, committing to Verlander while also being on the hook for Felix and Robbie seems a little crazy. Now maybe the Mariners say “why the heck not,” and pull off a deal with the Tigers, but I’m just not exactly seeing Dipoto doing that.

Likelihood of deal: LOW

SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 2: Ervin Santana /

Option 2: Ervin Santana

If Dipoto could deal his way to the Twins’ veteran anchor, Mariners fans should be beyond stoked. When deals go down in August, the return is typically pretty small. So if Dipoto somehow worked out a deal, the M’s would be getting a very solid rotation arm likely for pennies on the dollar.

In 2017, Santana has posted an ERA of 3.27 over 151.1 innings. The Seattle rotation is poor to begin with, but a high innings, low ERA pitcher is not exactly a familiar concept for the Mariners. The Twins likely will not want to part with Santana though, so this deal is pretty much just a hypothetical for the sake of looking at options.

Under contract through 2018, an option like Santana could secure a decent return, something that an August trade, as aforementioned, would not bring the Twins. Yet, no stone should be left unturned by Jerry Dipoto, and Santana should wind up passing through waivers.

Likelihood of deal: Higher than the first, but still LOW

Option #3: R.A. Dickey

While a pitcher with a career ERA of 4.01 and 2017 ERA of 4.03 doesn’t seem the most appealing to M’s fans, anything is better than Erasmo Ramirez trying to flail through forced, ineffective innings. Dickey is a typical knuckleball pitcher, he relies on finesse rather than strength, and that will lead to a higher ERA when teams inevitably figure out his slower stuff.

Yet, like Verlander, Dickey has been very good in the later part of 2017. Since July 1, he’s posted an ERA of 2.74. That number, if sustainable would put the rest of the M’s rotation, sans James Paxton, to shame.

It shouldn’t be too hard for the Mariners to pull an August trade for Dickey. They have the low/middle tier talent necessary to get him, and Atlanta shouldn’t be holding onto him too tightly as he has had his struggles this year and in recent seasons.

Out of these three options, this one seems like the most likely to happen. Yet, at the end of the day, it’s all speculation, and while not necessarily the best route, Dipoto could simply not make any deals. This Mariners team just doesn’t strike me as a playoff team unless, at the least, they upgrade one pitcher. They can’t continue the Paxton, Miranda, Gallardo, Gonzales, Ramirez rotation if they want to break the drought.

Likelihood of deal: MEDIUM

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