Seattle Mariners: The 5 Most Disappointing Acquisitions of 2018

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SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 04: Adam Warren #43 of the Seattle Mariners walks off the field after allowing two hits and a run against the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh inning at Safeco Field on September 4, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /

I’ve gone over this before, but Adam Warren felt like an absolute steal with the Mariners traded for him at the deadline. The deal capped off a complete reinforcement of Seattle’s bullpen, which included acquisitions of relievers Zach Duke and Sam Tuivailala. It was obvious that the M’s could not compete for a playoff spot with their current rotation, and didn’t hold the proper resources to go out and supplement it, so beefing up their bullpen was the next best thing. It seemed they had done, and may have even gone overkill, after getting Warren.

Instead, Duke was horrid and Tuivailala had his season cut short when he injured his achilles. But the one that really gets me is Warren, who wound up on the brink of disaster in his two months with Seattle.

Maybe I set my expectations way too high for Warren. I saw the 31-year-old reliever as an ultra-versatile piece that could help the Mariners in several ways, whether it be in long relief, high-leverage situations, or even starting, and strikeout a lot of guys while doing it. Warren’s pre-trade K/9 of 11.10 fell to 6.23 and he struggled with the long ball, often coming across as “just another guy” instead of the dominant reliever I once thought the M’s were getting.

Upon reflection, I still feel the same way. Warren should have absolutely been better than he was, and his struggles with Seattle are a major disappointment. Warren is a free agent this offseason, and I actually do hope they bring him back. I don’t think this was a proper representation of what he can be. Maybe I’ll just be let down again.

RHP ADAM WARREN