Mariners Add Depth With Familiar Name, Trade For Elias

On Monday, the Mariners made a trade to reacquire a one time fan favorite. In a minor deal, Jerry Dipoto acquired left-handed pitcher Roenis Elias from the Boston Red Sox for cash or a player to be named later.

Elias played in the Mariners organization from 2011 until December of 2015. In that time he made 49 starts for the big league team, posting a 3.97 ERA over 279 innings pitched. Elias was traded by Jerry Dipoto in December of 2015 along with Carson Smith to acquire veteran lefty Wade Miley from the Boston Red Sox.

After 2 disappointing seasons with the Red Sox, including a 2017 wrecked by injuries, Boston decided to ship Elias to the bullpen, where he found some success in this young 2018 season. In 7.1 innings of relief in AAA, Elias posted a 1.23 ERA with 9 K’s.

Many speculated that the Mariners could look to do the same with Elias. Seattle only has 3 LH relievers on the 40 man roster. It has been a struggle for veteran Marc Rzepczynski, so on the surface, that makes sense.

However, both General Manager Jerry Dipoto and Manager Scott Servais have publicly said that Elias will be stretch out in AAA Tacoma. The plan to make Elias a starter should raise a few eyebrows. After all, why move Elias out of the bullpen?

The Mariners already have Ariel Miranda, Rob Whalen, Andrew Moore, and Max Povse ready to go as potential call-ups. They also believe Hisashi Iwakuma will play a role in 2018. Sure, Elias has proven to be a quality starter in the past. Perhaps this is nothing more than a value play. But with the limitations of lefty relievers on the 40 man, it’s not the most obvious decision.

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At the end of the day, Dipoto added a quality depth piece for almost nothing. Elias is an excellent athlete, who spins a nice curveball and can sit at 92 mph with his fastball. The changeup has even flashed above-average at times. The addition of Elias brings the 40 man roster up to 39.