Mariners finally admit defeat and send underwhelming reliever into roster limbo

Seattle never really had high hopes for Casey Legumina. He pitched to inconsistent results in Cincinnati before being designated for assignment and was acquired by the Mariners in exchange for cash in 2025. Sometimes, teams get really lucky and players that are acquired for bargain bin prices turn out to be total steals. Unfortunately, Legumina was not one of these.

Legumina pitched 49.2 innings last year, posting a 5.62 ERA and 4.38 FIP in primarily low-leverage situations. With 17 finished games, he saw a lot of action when the game wasn't particularly close, but helped preserve the arms of his fellow bullpen mates. A hot start in 2026 made it seem like he could see some increased responsibility, but with five earned runs in his last 4.1 innings of work, Seattle has decided to go in a different direction.

Casey Legumina's DFA clears the way for hard-throwing righty Alex Hoppe

Normally, shuffling around the bullpen happens later in the season, especially since it's not like Legumina has been intolerably bad, but with the Mariners still struggling to get back to their usual selves, every advantage is necessary.

While he doesn't have any big league experience, Alex Hoppe presents plenty of exciting upside for Seattle's relief unit. He has already racked up four saves across eight innings of work with Triple-A Tacoma and has yet to concede an earned run. His 1.91 FIP and 40.0 strikeout rate add even more evidence that he's ready for a step up in competition and when asked about his preparedness, he expressed encouraging confidence.

"It’s pretty much like just being in the (strike) zone. My stuff’s good enough to play at this level. We’ve known that. "

Alex Hoppe

Seattle's bullpen has run into its fair share of issues, and Legumina won't be the only player to be moved off of the big league roster this year. New trade acquisition Jose A. Ferrer hasn't exactly ingratiated himself with fans and even the team's usually steadfast closer has gotten off to a shaky start.

The Mariners will hopefully continue to be active when it comes to using their minor league depth to bolster a sagging major league squad. The organization has one of the best farm systems in baseball and they'd be remiss not to use it. Swapping out a lackluster reliever for an unproven one won't fix all of their problems but at the very least, it's a step in the right direction.

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