Is Nick Margevicius Still an Option for the Mariners?

After the 2020 season, the Seattle Mariners thought they may have found a hidden gem to fill out their starting rotation in Nick Margevicius, who posted a 4.97 ERA and 1.258 WHIP through seven starts during the shortened campaign. However, Margevicius went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in late April last season while posting an 8.25 ERA in three starts, so his future in Seattle is now far from encouraging.

A former 7th round pick of the San Diego Padres in 2017, Margevicius was claimed off waivers by the Mariners in January 2020 after making a quick jump from the Padres’ AA squad to the major league team and not finding immediate success. He pitched well in the minors, compiling an 18-13 record and 3.36 ERA from 2017-2019, but the “win-now” Padres weren’t interested in giving him a few years to figure out the major leagues.

The Mariners are still seeking out one more starting pitcher to round out their rotation, and while most reports indicate that Seattle would like to add another top-end starter, it’s still very possible they will be limited to adding an average veteran on a one-year contract or looking at internal options to fill in as the fifth starter.

Nick Margevicius features a fastball-slider-curveball combination, relying primarily on his fastball to get ahead in the count before mixing in a breaking pitch with two strikes. His fastball averaged 90.1 mph in 2020 (which is somewhat surprising coming from a 6’5″, 220 lb. left-hander), but it can be effective when his loopy curveball is thrown consistently for strikes.

With some additional work with the Mariners’ pitching development staff and mentorship from fellow crafty lefty Marco Gonzales, Margevicius, who is still just 25 years old, could be a sleeper candidate for a much improved 2022 season.