Mariners Should Look Within to Alleviate Bullpen Woes

Outside of Edwin Diaz and James Pazos, the Mariners have an unstable bullpen.

If a trade for a top-end reliever is there for the right price, the Mariners should take full advantage. I would never say no to Kirby Yates, Kyle Barraclough, etc. donning the navy and teal in 2018.

But the Mariners have a plethora of relief talent spread throughout their farm system. Some of whom you’ve seen us ship elsewhere in our Trade-a-Day articles. If they’d be so valuable to other teams, why can’t they be valuable to the Mariners this season?

Relief prospects are such strange commodities. They seemingly grow on trees for most organizations, while others struggle to find even one. While the Mariners have dealt with a lack of prospect depth, they’ve fortunately been able to produce MLB-quality relievers.

Currently, the Mariners have a “Big 4” of sorts: Art Warren, Wyatt Mills, Matt Festa, and Seth Elledge.

Festa and Warren are the closest to the Majors, presently stationed in Double-A Arkansas. Mills and Elledge, on the other hand, are in High-A Modesto, though they appear to be primed to make big leaps through the system if need be.

All four pitchers have something in common: they strike a lot of guys out. In 2018, Warren (12.64), Elledge (12.66), Mills (10.16), and Festa (12.33) have a combined 11.94 K/9 at their respective levels.

But the depth doesn’t stop there. In reality, relievers are interchangeable. The more options you have, the more chances you may hit on one or two for the rest of the year.

There are a few candidates in Tacoma that could potentially fit that idea.

The first that comes to mind is newly-selected PCL All-Star Shawn Armstrong. Acquired from Cleveland last December, the 27-year-old Armstrong only pitched 4.2 innings in the Spring and ended up getting DFA’d. Thankfully for the Mariners, he cleared waivers and has been an absolute stud for the Rainiers.

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In 39.2 innings pitched, Armstrong has a 12.25 K/9 with a 2.04 ERA (3.68 xFIP). His groundball percentage (33.3%) is significantly down from where it usually sits for him, but he hasn’t gotten tagged much. We could see Armstrong as early as the beginning of the upcoming Rockies series with how taxed the Mariners’ bullpen is after James Paxton’s early injury versus Anaheim.

Dario Alvarez is another name that could be seen relatively soon. Alvarez has been a mediocre Major League reliever with some solid outings sprinkled here and there. Through 21 innings in Tacoma, Alvarez has an impressive 1.71 ERA, but his 5.09 xFIP signals that it could be a mirage.

Still, Alvarez could potentially give the Mariners another left-handed arm in the bullpen that they so desperately need. Perhaps Alvarez finds himself a niche in Seattle’s bullpen and gives them an unexpected boost for free.

Ryan Garton was acquired along with the now-retired Mike Marjama from the Rays last year. For what has been an ultimately forgettable trade, Garton has the potential to change the narrative quickly.

After recently returning to the diamond from hip labrum surgery, Garton has a 10.62 K/9 and an even 50% groundball rate over 20 innings pitched. Perhaps the most important stat on Garton is that he’s yet to allow a home run this season. His BABIP against is high at .320, but it hasn’t bitten him yet. He’s worth a look.

The most interesting reliever of the bunch is 27-year-old Tyler Higgins. Most of you are probably asking, “Who?” right now and I don’t blame you. Higgins was signed from the New Britain Bees of the Independent League earlier this year and has pitched lights-out for the Rainiers.

Higgins landed in the IL after failing to meet expectations within the Marlins’ system. It appears that time away from the MiLB has done him some good because it’s been nothing but green grass through his first 13 appearances in Tacoma.

So far he’s followed suit of every other pitcher mentioned thus far, posting a 10+ K/9. He’s only allowed one run thus far, a solo dinger when facing Albuquerque. It’s a small sample, sure, but man, how cool of a story would he be?

Ryan Cook, Casey Lawrence, and Mike Morin will likely continue to play musical chairs between Tacoma and Seattle this year. However, they’re not going to swing things one way or another. Instead, try someone else and maybe you’ll get yourself a Danny Farquhar or Dominic Leone out of it.

All this said, the Mariners still should look outside their organization to beef up their bullpen. Considering how well they’re playing with how many things they have wrong with them, a couple of solid moves could really transform them into a true contender come playoff time.

But finding a diamond in the rough within your own organization is something they should also focus on as well. Or see if the potential of a Warren or Festa can pay off immediately.

Either way, they can – and should – do both. They likely will.

My final message is simple, really: don’t continue to mess around with pitchers like Lawrence or Cook. See what you have in an Armstrong, Garton, and/or Higgins. If none of them pan out, then it might be time to go to one of the four young guns.

Next: Mariners Trade Deadline Plan: 5 Trades To End the Drought

Jerry Dipoto has a deep pool of relief talent, one that he’s barely put a toe into. It’s time for him to take a dip.