Mariners linked to unhittable reliever who is desperately needed in bullpen

As the trade deadline approaches, teams across MLB have begun assessing their wants and needs. Selling teams are looking to get their hands on prospects that could become pieces of a future franchise core, while buyers are looking to gain incremental advantages over their fellow counterparts.

For the Seattle Mariners, the main weakness has seemingly been the team's inconsistent offense, especially at the infield corners, which has driven much of the trade deadline rumors positioning them as buyers. However, the pitching may also be worth a closer look.

Jake Bird is exactly what the Mariners need in their bullpen

The starting pitching depth remains great, especially with the return of Logan Gilbert, but the bullpen hasn't had been quite as dominant. Mariners relievers have combined for a 3.75 ERA this season, placing them right at league average. The higher leverage arms like Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash, and Gabe Speier have been excellent, but other relievers like Casey Legumina and Trent Thornton have been shaky at best.

Surprisingly, the Colorado Rockies of all teams may have the answer.

In a recent piece about this year's top trade candidates and where they might end up, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote about Jake Bird's strong season and how he could be a good fit for Seattle. Bird has seemingly found the secret to pitching success at Coors, posting a 2.16 ERA over 41.2 innings with a top-decile strikeout rate of 32.0 percent.

Armed with a three-pitch arsenal, Bird's curveball has been especially effective this year, holding opposing hitters to a .086 batting average while boasting a 38.5 whiff rate. He also has a sinker that sits in the mid-90s and a slider that profiles more as a sweeper with 14.0 inches of break. When used in tandem, he's one of the toughest pitchers to face.

In addition to his strong numbers and appealing stuff, he'd be under team control through 2028 and is already 29 years old, so he'd likely carry a relatively affordable contract.

Given the team's recent results, it can be tempting to solely prioritize acquiring offense at the deadline. However, contrary to popular belief, Seattle's lineup has shown flashes of greatness and, with greater consistency, could possibly make it work with what they have, especially given the strong numbers from J.P. Crawford and Cal Raleigh. On the other hand, the front of the bullpen has been a revolving door with few recurring characters.

Getting a major upgrade at first or third base but a much cheaper option to meaningfully improve the bullpen could also be a controllable arm currently languishing away in the least competitive organization in MLB.