Braves hand Mariners a potential bullpen lifeline by cutting veteran loose

If you want to look at the main reasons the Mariners have disappointed this season, the offense tops the list. However, we would put the bullpen right behind them, due to the nasty combination of inconsistent form, injuries and low-quality options. As such, Tyler Kinley's availability might have come along at just the right time.

Obviously no bullpen is going to look particularly good after giving up 13 earned runs (16 total), as the Mariners did on Tuesday night during the massacre in Milwaukee. However, the reality is the M's relievers have been struggling for a while now, after an encouraging start to the 2026 season.

Through the end of May, the Mariners bullpen was ranked third in the majors with a 3.11 team ERA. Since then however, they rank second-last with an ugly 5.35 ERA and even before Tuesday night's beatdown, they were a lowly 25th with a 4.83 ERA since the beginning of June. We appreciate there's plenty of other metrics to measure the effectiveness of a bullpen, but ultimately, stopping the other team scoring is the name of the game.

Tyler Kinley could be just what the Doctor ordered for the M's

This is where Kinley can potentially help, with the Braves announcing on Tuesday that he had been designated for assignment after recalling AJ Smith-Shawver. We acknowledge that at first glance Kinley isn't the most exciting guy, with a career 4.67 ERA and 1.340 WHIP. However, he's had his moments during nine years of Major League action.

The 35-year-old's best season arguably came in 2022 with the Rockies, when he set career bests with a 0.75 ERA, 27.0 K% and 6.0 BB%, The only shame is he was limited to 25 appearances, before having to undergo season-ending surgery for a flexor tear in his right elbow.

Last season proved to be a struggle for Kinley in Colorado. However, a trade to the Braves at the end of July seemed to rejuvenate him as he produced a stellar 0.72 ERA and 0.680 WHIP down the stretch in 24 appearances. This season he pitched well through June before running into some struggles, but the intangibles are still there regardless, highlighted by ranking in the 97th percentile for Avg Exit Velo and Hard-Hit%.

At some point the Mariners have to stop relying on just hope

The Mariners have been holding out hope on the trio of Carlos Vargas, Matt Brash and Cooper Criswell returning to boost the bullpen. However, while Vargas is expected to rejoin the team when they get back from Milwaukee, Brash and Criswell might not be healthy until early September, with the added caveat that their respective return timelines keep getting gradually pushed back.

This might explain why the Mariners have been seemingly stockpiling relief pitchers such as Nolan Kingham, Scott Effross and Troy Watson, to see if anything sticks. In this respect, we wondered if they should have sought a reunion with Paul Sewald, before he was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. While he's not had the best of seasons, the righty would have inspired more confidence than the likes of Josh Simpson, Michael Rucker and Nick Davila.

In any event, time is running out for the Mariners to add players they could use in the postseason. Playoff-eligible players must be on a team's 40-man roster or 60-day IL by noon ET on September 1. As such, we truly believe Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander would do well to make a claim for Kinley, with him offering more upside than their other recent relief pitcher pickups.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow