This Week’s Look: How the Seattle Mariners Bullpen shapes up

As we continue to wait to see whether major league baseball season will happen at some point this summer or not we take a look at the Mariners bullpen.

We have heard the baseball season may begin in July with all the teams playing in Arizona. So far it is not a sure thing. So today (in an effort to be prepared) we look at the bullpen of the Mariners to see who is still competing for a roster spot.

Going into the season, before major league baseball decided to put a hold on games, the rosters were to increase to 26 players from 25. The Mariners were looking to have five starters along with eight relievers plus thirteen position players. Depending on when the season starts, MLB could allow an additional player or two, meaning at least an additional reliever could be added. A lot of this will depend on whether major league baseball decides to go with playing double-headers once or twice a week.

Playing double-headers will make it important to have an additional reliever and a starter. Having at least one double-header a week may cause teams go with a six-man rotation. The Mariners are in a good position since they were going to start Marco Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, Kendall Graveman, Justus Sheffield, and Taijuan Walker or Justin Dunn. In this scenario, both Walker and Dunn will start unless the Mariners decide to go with Logan Gilbert in one spot.

The Seattle Mariners currently have 12 relievers on their 40-man roster listed on the spring training camp roster. However, that could change when they get back to work. They had several non-roster invitees still in camp as well. Since the minor leagues most likely won’t have a season unless things change soon, we could see a couple of relievers who would have gone to double-A or triple-A instead be on the roster.

Here is a look at the relievers who will probably be on the roster when the season does begin. RHPs Matt Magill, Yoshihisa Hirano, Erik Swanson, Carl Edwards Jr., Brandon Brennan, Dan Altavilla (out of options), Yohan Ramirez (rule 5 draft pick) and LHP Nestor Cortes. Austin Adams, who had a good year last year before the injury at the end of the season, could be ready to go on day 1. Also, they could add Sam Delaplane who pitched last year at high-A Modesto then double-A Arkansas where he had a 0.49 ERA. They were hoping Delaplane would make the roster coming out of spring training.

The bullpen often changes over the season. For example, last year only Brandon Brennan was on the roster the whole season except the time he spent on the disabled list. Swanson and Dan Altavilla were the only other two spendings some significant time in the bullpen coming out last spring training. The rest of the relievers were acquired throughout the season besides a few that were brought up out of the minor leagues.

General manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais may not only look at the relievers for the 2020 season but for 2021 as well so the bullpen could be different then we can imagine. I am sure the Mariners will have some relievers working out in Arizona not on the roster in case they need them too. Go M’s.