Mariners Free Agent Target: Astros Hater Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly is one of the most polarizing players in Major League Baseball because of his outspoken nature. He loves to stir the pot and create controversy. He is one of the players who openly rips the Houston Astros for their cheating scandal. In 2020, he drew the attention of the whole sports world when he made a face and taunted Carlos Correa after striking him out. He is certainly a character, and something the Mariners have not had before.

The Mariners have never been a team to have players that get involved in these types of altercations, but it sure would be fun to watch him pitch against the Astros throughout the season with Seattle. The veteran reliever offers the Mariners lots of playoff and World Series experience. Joe Kelly has been to the playoffs every year since 2016 and won two World Series rings. He would be a good veteran to add to the Seattle bullpen.

The Mariners probably won’t go into the 2022 season with the same group of relievers, and they may even trade some of them for other players at positions of greater need. Joe Kelly could be a nice one-year solution to the bullpen. He would give it more length, depth, and quality. He did not have the kind of 2021 season that Paul Sewald or Drew Steckenrider had, but he could be someone who comes into the game in the 5th or 6th inning and can be counted on to get outs.

2021 was a solid year for Joe Kelly. He pitched in 44 innings and had a 2.86 ERA. His month splits are very up and down. He had ERA’s of over 9 and 6 in May and August, but those months he only pitched in 11 innings, so he just got knocked around in those games. He had three months with an ERA under 2, and two months where his ERA was less than 1. He was a little up and down in his performance, but he overall was quite solid.

He would be someone who could be depended on more in the bullpen than Erik Swanson or Yohan Ramirez. The 34-year-old should not command a whole lot on the market, but a one or two-year deal should be able to get him to Seattle. Over the last six seasons where Kelly has been almost exclusively a reliever, he has had anywhere from a 0.1 WAR to a 0.7 WAR. The 0.1 was in 10 innings in 2020, but the other years he was between 0.4 and 0.7 WAR.

Signing Joe Kelly gives the Mariners a player with attitude, a solid relief presence, and improves the team for 2022. He would be very fun to watch pitch against the Astros, and potentially get the Mariners into a brawl. He is more than that, however. He is a very dependable reliever who is a very steady player and gives no downside to signing him for the Seattle Mariners.