Dan Wilson and Mariners can't kid themselves and must shelve Andrés Muñoz as closer

The lack of consistency at the back of Seattle's bullpen has been a surprising discussion topic this year. As a Mariner, Andrés Muñoz has never posted an ERA above 3.00 and has consistently been one of the best high-leverage pitching options in baseball. This year, his 5.18 ERA and five blown saves have quickly drawn questions about whether he's still the right guy for the closer job.

After a tragic outing in Detroit, the conversation has only gotten more intense and there should be some possibility of pursuing a closer option at this year's trade deadline. It's typical for a reliever's rough patches to be met with concern by fans online, but while these reactions often tend to be a little extreme, there's a lot of merit behind the calls for Muñoz to be taken out of the closer spot.

For the sake of the team, Andrés Muñoz should cede his bullpen role to someone more effective

After 26 appearances, it's clear that there has been real regression for Muñoz. He's giving up more hard contact than ever and his fastballs are to blame. Opposing hitters are slugging .524 against his four-seam fastball and .556 against his sinker. His slider has remained effective, but with a lack of primary offerings to keep hitters guessing, it's not as potent as it has been in years past.

A major contributing factor is his control, or lack thereof. Just 40.0% of his pitches have been in the zone this season, landing him in the first percentile. Because of the reliance on his slider, he has never been one to fill up the zone but this year, he has been getting behind in counts and has grooved more pitches than usual.

If Seattle does decide to go in a different direction for the ninth inning, there are a couple of existing options on the roster that could take over. Matt Brash has been incredible this season, pitching to a 0.56 ERA and a 2.67 FIP over 16 innings. Jose A. Ferrer looks like another trade win for the Mariners and has posted a 1.55 ERA and 2.76 FIP over his 29 innings of work.

It's never an easy decision to demote a player who has been such an important part of the team's relief unit but with postseason aspirations, Seattle can't afford to gloss over any disadvantages. At this level, winning is done on the margins and having an inconsistent closer for too long could cost them several key wins. For a team with ambitious playoff aspirations, they can't make the move soon enough.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow