Mariners' $95M Colt Emerson deal could have a hidden cost to bullpen depth

You can't have 41 men on a 40-man roster, so somebody had to go after the Seattle Mariners inked shortstop prospect Colt Emerson to a $95 million contract on Tuesday. And that someone is Ryan Loutos.

The Mariners designated the right-handed reliever for assignment on Tuesday, and are now requesting release waivers on him. As noted by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors, the Mariners can't simply outright Loutos because he's currently injured.

The question now is whether the Mariners will retain Loutos by signing him to a minor league deal, but he's free to shop around if he wants. And one of the other 29 teams in MLB might just want him more than Seattle.

Mariners will have less relief pitcher depth if Ryan Loutos departs the organization

The Mariners first acquired Loutos back in November as a waiver claim from the Washington Nationals. At the time, arguably the most interesting thing about him was his background as an undrafted computer science major.

Then again, one could have been equally interested in what Loutos brought to the table as a pitcher. He pitched for three MLB clubs between 2024 and 2025 — including the Los Angeles Dodgers, so he has a World Series ring — and used a five-pitch mix headlined by a mid-90s fastball.

When Loutos was on the Mariners' 40-man roster, he was part of a bullpen depth chart that ran eight players deep underneath the eight who made the Opening Day roster. Yet between his release and Carlos Vargas' IL stint, that list is already down to six.

The relievers Seattle has used through seven games have posted a 2.70 ERA, but it hasn't all been smooth sailing. Gabe Speier has a 7.71 ERA through three appearances, and might be feeling the effects of his involvement with Team USA during the World Baseball Classic. Andrés Muñoz got ambushed by Chase DeLauter in his one and only appearance, in which his fastball was only around 97 mph.

All that said, the bullpen depth chart was the obvious target for a sacrifice as soon as the Mariners extended Emerson. And the Mariners might have already chosen the best possible "next man up" in Cole Wilcox, who has allowed just two hits and struck out four of the 11 batters he's faced in place of the injured Vargas.

Whether it's in the Mariners organization or somewhere else, the 27-year-old Loutos should catch on somewhere. And if pitching doesn't work out for him, it's nice to know that he can easily pursue a career in tech instead.