Mariners pick an awkward moment to experiment on former Rangers starter

The Seattle Mariners picked a really funny time to do the most Mariners thing imaginable.

The Rangers light the division on fire with a blockbuster — MacKenzie Gore in, a boatload of prospects out to the Nationals — and Seattle’s answer, at least on the transaction wire, is a minor-league deal for Dane Dunning.

We’re not going to say the move is useless. It’s just the timing makes it land with a thud.

Because this isn’t the kind of move that signals the Mariners are going for the division. It’s the kind of move that gives them an extra arm to stash in Tacoma for when the schedule gets messy or injuries pop up. And if you’re a Mariners fan watching the AL West ramp up, it’s hard not to think: is this really the response?

Mariners make a bleak little bet on Dane Dunning as the AL West gets louder

On paper, Dunning is the definition of a “meh” signing. He owns a career 4.44 ERA and has been hit around for a 5.60 ERA over the last two seasons. The one year that pops is 2023, when it felt like the entire Rangers roster synchronously overperformed during their World Series run.

Dunning logged 172.2 innings with a 3.70 ERA while bouncing between starting and relief. That version of Dunning looked like a useful mid-rotation piece — not a star, but the kind of arm that makes life easier when you’re trying to win 88–92 games.

However, it's not like the most recent sample is begging you to buy in. He finished 2025 in Atlanta getting rocked, posting a 10.80 ERA over his final seven appearances. So why take the flier?

Because the Mariners don’t sign arms like they’re shopping for headlines. They sign arms like they’re building a shelf. You stack enough options, let the pitching group tinker, and you see if the environment can pull something back out of a player another team stopped getting.

With Dunning, the “something” in his situation is the sinker/cutter combo.

When it’s right, it’s a real identity. A sinker that can steal quick outs, a cutter that keeps hitters from sitting on one plane, and a pitch mix that doesn’t need premium velocity if the shapes are sharp and the sequencing is smart. That’s the hook for Seattle. He’s usable, and in the same mold as the Hancock/Evans type of depth: a No. 5 option if you need one, or a long-relief bridge when a starter gets knocked out early.

It also doesn’t hurt that he’s a familiar foe. In 11 career appearances against the Mariners, Dunning is 3–4 with a 4.61 ERA — not dominant, but he was annoying enough. He’s also had recent outings where he piled up strikeouts without pitching deep, including bursts where he looked like the exact kind of pitcher who can steal two trips through the order if he’s commanding that sinker/cutter pair. Seattle knows what the “good version” feels like because they’ve had to face it.

All of that is why this move is defensible. But it still feels awkward, because it accidentally tells on the larger Mariners problem: this can’t be the response to the division if the Rangers are raising the stakes.

A minor-league deal is fine. Smart, even. If Dunning wins a job and becomes a useful swingman, that’s a real win on the margins. If he soaks up innings so the bullpen isn’t cooked by Memorial Day, even better.

It’s just that the margins don’t hit the same when the Rangers just reminded everyone the AL West isn’t going to watch and let Seattle run it back.