Mariners' ALCS roster brings changes fans were desperate for after grueling ALDS

Though the Seattle Mariners were able to defeat the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series, it was hard not to wonder if the series would have lasted five games had the Mariners not been forced to carry a Franken-roster. It had a weird bench and lacked their best pitcher.

Well, wonder no more about that. The Mariners revealed their roster for the American League Championship Series opposite the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday morning, and the most notable new addition is Bryan Woo to the pitching staff:

We would pretend to be shocked, but the Mariners tipped their hand regarding Woo as soon as the ALDS was over. Jerry Dipoto all but said that the ace right-hander would be on the roster in the wee hours of Saturday morning after the Mariners' marathon win over the Tigers in Game 5.

Because he hasn't pitched since September 19 as he's recovered from inflammation in his right pec, Woo will surely be on a pitch count when he does take the mound again. Nonetheless, he was the Mariners' best pitcher this year, and he was never better than when he went up against winning teams. He made 15 starts against teams with .500 or better records, and silenced them with a 2.09 ERA.

Exactly when Woo will pitch again is unclear, but sooner would be better. After Dan Wilson was forced to use Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo in relief of George Kirby in Game 5 of the ALDS, the rotation is a bit of a mess right now.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays still don't have one of their top stars for the ALCS. Their roster does not feature Bo Bichette, who is still experiencing discomfort as he tries to recover from a sprained knee.

Mariners ALCS roster features one other addition and two notable subtractions

In summary, here's how the Mariners' roster for the ALCS differs from their ALDS roster:

• In: RHP Bryan Woo, INF/OF Miles Mastrobuoni
• Out: 3B Ben Williamson, 1B/OF Luke Raley

Williamson's ouster was likely inevitable. He only made it onto the ALDS roster as an insurance policy in case Josh Naylor missed time with paternity leave. That never came to pass, as Naylor implied that he and his wife had their baby on an off day during the series. Assuming he's back for good, the slick-fielding Williamson is no longer needed.

If there is a surprise here, it's that the Mariners swapped out Raley for Mastrobuoni. But in a way, it's also not a surprise given just how lost Raley had been looking on offense.

He missed two big chunks of the regular season with injuries, and he only posted a .202/.319/.311 slash line and an 85 OPS+ when he did play. He was relegated to a reserve role after returning from his second IL stint in August, hitting just .143 with no home runs in 24 games down the stretch. He got five plate appearances in the ALDS and went 0-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch.

There just isn't a whole lot the Mariners can count on Raley for at this point, whereas Mastrobuoni at least offers positional flexibility and can give you a good at-bat, as he only struck out 29 times and worked 17 walks in 175 plate appearances this season.

A question for the future is whether Raley has played his last game for the Mariners. He is eligible for arbitration in 2026, with MLB Trade Rumors projecting him for a modest $1.8 million salary. Yet even knowing that he was worth 3.2 rWAR as recently as 2024, the budget-conscious Mariners may choose to non-tender Raley after he managed -0.3 rWAR this year.

For now, the start of the ALCS is nigh. First pitch at Rogers Centre is slated for 5:03 p.m. PT, with Bryce Miller starting for the Mariners opposite Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman.