Mariners 2026 Opening Day roster could be a last stand for 2 players

Though the Seattle Mariners haven't officially announced their Opening Day roster, we already know the moment will be happy news for Mitch Garver. It could also be the beginning of a last stand for Ryan Bliss and Casey Legumina.

Both are on an active roster that has been pared down to 31 players. Each is also projected to make the final cut for the 26-man roster by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times.

Along with Emerson Hancock, Bliss is one of two players who figure to benefit from J.P. Crawford (sore right shoulder) and Bryce Miller (left oblique inflammation) starting the 2026 season on the injured list. Legumina, meanwhile, was always the obvious pick for the one and only open spot in the bullpen.

Ryan Bliss and Casey Legumina are likely to be on short leashes if they make the Mariners' Opening Day roster

Hancock probably won't be in Miller's spot in the rotation for very long. Miller's oblique kept him out of action for pretty much the entire spring, but it felt good as he was pumping his fastball as high as 98 mph in a bullpen session on Monday. He might only miss a start or two.

Yet the early portion of the season almost certainly won't be Hancock's last rodeo with the Mariners. He has one minor league option remaining, so he can be stashed at Triple-A Tacoma until he's needed again. And when he is, it could be as either a starter or as a reliever.

Bliss, on the other hand, needs to take whatever chance he gets and run with it.

He was the Mariners' starting second baseman on Opening Day last year, but serious injuries to his biceps and knee wrecked his shot. He then showed up to spring training buried under a mountain of depth, and he's likely to be first on the chopping block once Crawford is healthy.

Unless, of course, he proves he belongs. Bliss was ranked by Baseball America as the club's No. 25 prospect just last year, and he's still only 26. If his plus speed survived last year's knee injury, he could be useful as both a utility guy and a pinch-runner off the bench.

For his part, Legumina is likely to get his shot simply by virtue of being out of options. If he doesn't improve on either his 5.62 ERA from last season or his 6.23 ERA for the spring, he'll be an easy mark for a DFA.

However, the dream of Legumina becoming the next Paul Sewald may not be dead just yet. His 94.3 mph fastball did play up last year, holding hitters to a .191 average and finishing with a +3 Run Value.

If Legumina can't hack it, Troy Taylor, Cole Wilcox and Alex Hoppe are among the relief options the Mariners could turn to instead. And if Bliss also struggles to make an impression, Crawford's return will push Leo Rivas into his roster spot and create a tough road back to The Show. Especially, that is, if top prospect Colt Emerson makes an early case for himself after his reassignment.

For the meantime, the wait for the Mariners' Opening Day roster goes on. They have until Thursday morning to submit it, and then it's literally game time against the Cleveland Guardians. First pitch at T-Mobile Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PT.