The Mariners bullpen looks shaky despite a busy offseason

Mariners bullpen – some returners are struggling

Kendall Graveman

Seattle brought back Kendall Graveman on a one-year deal and was one of the first moves Jerry Dipoto made in the offseason. So far, he hasn’t been all that impressive. Right now, he owns a 6.35 Spring Training ERA and allowed seven hits in five and two-thirds innings.

Kendall has also walked two batters which brings his WHIP up to 1.59. The right-hander hasn’t been as bad as some of the pitchers named on the last page, but my expectations are high for Graveman.

Yohan Ramirez

The hard-throwing reliever is coming off of a Dominican Winter League Championship and we’re hoping that he could have another decent season this year. But, in Ramirez’s one outing in Arizona, he was extremely wild.

Walks were a big issue last season and it showed again. In his one inning pitched, Yohan has allowed two earned runs without giving up a hit. He hit two batters and walked one batter. Not a very good start for Ramirez.

Brandon Brennan

Brandon Brennan has been with the Mariners for two years and has been a decent option out of the pen. But, Brennan is another player that has struggled in the first two weeks of camp and gave up two earned runs in two innings of work. He has allowed three hits and four walks.

Apparently, his two innings didn’t impress the coaching staff, since he was optioned to the minor leagues at the beginning of the week. It is very likely that we will see him in 2021, but not on Opening Day.

Gerson Bautista

Gerson Bautista came to Seattle with Jarred Kelenic and we haven’t heard a whole lot about him since he joined. Bautista actually became a free agent at the end of last year, but Seattle brought him back on a minor league deal.

Now with something to prove, the 25-year-old right-hander has been given ample opportunities. He has worked five innings and a third but has allowed three runs which equals a 5.06 ERA. He has allowed seven hits, one home run, and a whopping six walks without a strikeout.

Wyatt Mills

I was really excited to see how Wyatt Mills would perform this Spring, but he pitched himself out of major league camp. In one and two-thirds innings of work, he allowed four earned runs on five hits and a walk. Mills also allowed one home run and blew a save.

Not exactly what you want to see from the Mariners prospect. He was recently optioned alongside Brennan, but we still might see Mills this year during the season. Wyatt hasn’t pitched in Triple-A yet, but after he gets some time he could easily be called up.

Now, let’s end on a positive note. Here are some Mariners bullpen guys who are pitching well.