Mariners: Lefty reliever options to even out the bullpen

The Mariners had an amazing bullpen in 2021. Even though there were some blips and rough stretches with certain relievers (remember Will Vest?), they had a darn good season. According to the fine folks at Fangraphs, they were actually the 4th most valuable bullpen in baseball.

However, they seem a bit right-handed heavy heading into 2022. When you have a boatload of great relievers, it shouldn’t bother you too much. Having a lefty or two that you can add to the mix does make things a lot nicer, if not just from a balance and matchup standpoint.

Think about the relievers that are currently on the team. Steckenrider, Sewald, Sadler, Swanson, Castillo, Giles, Munoz. The only lefty is Anthony Misiewicz. Justus Sheffield potentially gives them a second. Personally, I think it’s where he should be and also the place where he could find the most success as a major leaguer.

Who knows what’s going to happen with Swanson, how Giles will do coming off of injury, and what Munoz will provide after the surgery. I do think that the Mariners could use some left-handed additions to the pen to fill it out. There aren’t a ton of options out there, but there are some good ones. It’s not quite as big of a deal since the essential elimination of the LOOGY (left-handed one out guy) but having a balanced attack still helps.

I’m going to break it up into two sections. All of these guys have had amazing stretches in their career, but some seem to be past their prime. Here are some of the better options out there if the Mariners are looking to add one or two lefties to their bullpen.