Mariners fans can breathe a sigh of relief over Matt Brash WBC reveal

Last Thursday, the 20 World Baseball Classic rosters were officially confirmed, and arguably the biggest news from a Seattle Mariners perspective was the absence of Matt Brash from Team Canada. This led to us wondering — among other things — if the reliever was injured, given his fierce loyalty to the country he represented at the previous WBC back in 2023.

So, it's only fair that we circle back around now that the reason for Brash's absence from this year's WBC has been reported, with kudos going to Shannon Drayer. As per Seattle Sports, Drayer noted that the righty wanted to instead focus on getting ready for the long season ahead with the Mariners.

This speaks volumes about how serious and committed Brash is to helping the Mariners take that next step and finally play in their first World Series after coming so close last year. And you better believe the team is grateful for what he's doing, as one of the best arms in the bullpen and with a silder that is arguably the best weapon on the entire pitching staff.

Mariners have some bullpen concerns

Another reason the Mariners are likely grateful for Brash's apparent sacrifice of representing Canada again, is because of the relievers on the team who will be going to this year's WBC. Andrés Muñoz, Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo will all be representing their countries, which only makes things more concerning for the M's in respect of the bullpen's workload for the coming season.

Last season was a tough one for the Mariners relievers, due to the combination of injuries and a dearth of quality options. As a result, they relied heavily on the likes of Muñoz, Speier and Bazardo, with the trio being among the five M's bullpen arms with the most innings pitched during 2025.

This over-reliance proved costly come playoff time, although this should not be mistaken for pointing the fingers at anyone in particular. In any event, as Drayer notes, the Mariners will be keeping "a wary eye" on the relievers after the amount of innings certain individuals accumulated last year, hence why the some concern about Muñoz, Speier and Bazardo all attending the WBC.

M's thankful for Matt Brash and Jose A. Ferrer

Some may make the case that Brash proved back in 2023 that he can deal with the workload, following up his appearance at the WBC by leading all Major League relievers in appearances out of the bullpen, with 78. However, the key is that he subsequently missed all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, so he's playing it smart this time around by not exerting himself earlier than usual just to represent Team Canada.

Aside from Brash, the Mariners are also grateful their key offseason bullpen acquisition Jose A. Ferrer was not included on the Dominican Republic roster, flying in the face of earlier predictions. Ferrer proved last season in Washington that he can carry the workload, while his Baseball Savant page shows what he's capable of, including ranking in the 99th percentile for GB%, 95th percentile for BB% and 94th percentile for Fastball Velo.

The Mariners will now wait with baited breath and hope that Muñoz, Speier and Bazardo all return healthy from their respective WBC escapades. While it's tremendous news for the M's that Brash and Ferrer are saving their arms, the spectre of a bullpen again having to deal with injuries and by extension too few quality arms looms large over the organization.