Contract plot twist could cost the Mariners a key piece of starting rotation depth

The Seattle Mariners are carrying six starting pitchers on their active roster. Before anyone asks how many others are standing by on the 40-man, the answer is zero. Nada. Zilch. Nought. And this adds some tension to the latest on Randy Dobnak.

The 31-year-old right-hander has just kind of been hanging out with Triple-A Tacoma so far in 2026, but that could change on June 15. As Ari Alexander of 7News Boston reported, Dobnak has an upward mobility clause in his minor league contract for that date.

Here's how that works, per a helpful explanation from Leo Morgenstern of MLB Trade Rumors:

Dobnak must decide to trigger the clause
If he does, the Mariners must offer him to the other 29 teams in MLB
If another team wants to add him to its 40-man, the Mariners must add him to their own 40-man or work out a trade

The question the Mariners may have to answer is whether they value Dobnak enough to kick someone else off their 40-man roster so there's a spot for him. The answer may well be "no." Dobnak is a veteran with 140.2 major league innings to his name, but he has a 4.50 ERA and 1.500 WHIP for the Rainiers this season.

On the other hand, there are slim pickings for emergency starters if the Mariners need one. Cooper Criswell isn't stretched out after two months in the bullpen. And after Dobnak, there's only guys like Dane Dunning, Casey Lawrence and Jhonathan Díaz in Tacoma's rotation.

The Mariners have too many starting pitchers, but that is rarely a permanent state of affairs

The actual problem the Mariners have, of course, is the total opposite of the one we're alluding to.

They have too many starting pitchers, to a point where going to a six-man rotation might be their best way forward. And this is with Kade Anderson still lurking in Double-A, with only Triple-A standing between him and a potential late-season promotion to The Show.

Injuries have been known to happen, however, and we're still too close to events of 2025 to write off the injury bug coming for Seattle's rotation wealth. Only Luis Castillo didn't miss time last year, and he's closer to being an odd man out than the center of gravity in the rotation this year.

You therefore wonder if Dobnak's upward mobility clause is going to end up being a pathway to Seattle's 40-man roster. He could potentially bump off one of the six relievers the Mariners have in reserve, as only three of them have actually seen action with the big club this year.

One way or another, one supposes we'll find out next week.

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The Mariners have too many starting pitchers, but that is rarely a permanent state of affairs

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