Key piece of Eugenio Suárez trade is suddenly teasing an evolution for Mariners

When the Seattle Mariners traded Eugenio Suárez to the Arizona Diamondbacks last offseason, the return of Seby Zavala and reliever Carlos Vargas was widely criticized. Yet Vargas was seen as a lottery ticket: a flame-throwing righty with an electric fastball but little command and a history of injuries.

His minor league numbers were riddled with elevated walk rates, and despite possessing a fastball that would touch 100, his strikeout numbers were never really that impressive. Many evaluators saw him as more raw talent than reliable arm. But nearly halfway through the 2025 season, Vargas is proving the Mariners’ front office may have been onto something after all.

Carlos Vargas is throwing major heat in high-leverage spots for Dan Wilson

Through June, Vargas has emerged as one of Seattle’s most surprising and valuable bullpen pieces. While his strikeout numbers remain weirdly low for someone with his stuff, currently sitting at just 6.6 per nine innings, his command has taken a massive leap forward. His walk rate is now much more palatable at 3.7 per nine. Vargas is pounding the zone with confidence and has become a trusted option in the later innings, putting out fires when Andrés Muñoz and Matt Brash are unavailable to do so.

One of the biggest turning points in Vargas’ development came with a subtle but significant uptick in velocity. Through May 21, his sinker averaged a strong 96.9 mph. Since then, it’s jumped to 98.3 mph, suggesting not just improved mechanics or health, but perhaps a growing comfort with his role and confidence. That increase has made his sinker a weapon, inducing weak contact (93rd percentile in hard hit rate according to Baseball Savant) and helping him escape innings without relying on strikeouts.

It’s easy to forget that many questioned Vargas even making the Opening Day roster, especially over more polished arms in camp. Now, those doubts look premature. He’s thrown the second-most innings of any Mariners reliever. And while he hasn’t officially been anointed a high-leverage option, manager Dan Willson and Mariner fans have started to trust him in tighter spots.

Vargas has gone from thrower to pitcher, and from a question mark in the Suárez trade to a foundational piece of Seattle’s bullpen in 2025.