Mariners Rumors: Insider reveals a disappointing list of bullpen pursuits

Though much of the offseason buzz concerning the Seattle Mariners has had their starting lineup at the forefront, nobody has forgotten that their bullpen led to their doom at the end of 2025. And rest assured, the front office is on the case.

It's clear by now that expectations must be held in check, however. The Mariners were reported in mid-November to have limits on how far they would go in search of relief help. That has played out as they've stood on the sidelines while Ryan Helsley and Devin Williams, both of whom looked like prospective fits for Seattle at the outset, have found jobs in free agency.

Now comes the latest from Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, which includes a wish list of five relievers that reads less like a collection of stars and more like a bunch of random guys.

Mariners Rumors: insider reveals disappointing list of bullpen pursuits

Jude notes that the Mariners are still seeking two relief pitchers, and that they are "hopeful" about landing at least one reliever before the end of the Winter Meetings in Orlando next week. However, they are not expected to go after high-end relievers like Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez.

Instead, Jude reports that Seattle was in on right-hander Phil Maton before he signed with the Chicago Cubs on a two-year, $14.5 million deal. Another free agent in their sights is right-hander Tyler Rogers, who is predicted by MLB Trade Rumors to land a two-year, $18 million deal.

Rogers has a 148 ERA+ for his career, and he'd certainly bring a different look to Seattle's pen. He has the lowest release point of any pitcher in MLB, and he's exceedingly difficult to square up despite only throwing in the low-to-mid 80s with his sinker. His exit velocity, hard-hit rate and ground-ball rate were all near the 100th percentile this year, and he walked only seven batters in 77.1 innings.

Still, whether Rogers is a perfect fit for Seattle is debatable. The bullpen needs more swing-and-miss, not less. And while he is Rule 5 Draft-eligible, there's already a Rogers clone in the farm system named Tyler Cleveland, who was unhittable in the high minors this year.

Otherwise, Jude lists four lefties who are drawing interest from the Mariners:

• Hoby Milner, free agent
• Matt Strahm, Philadelphia Phillies
• JoJo Romero, St. Louis Cardinals
• Jose Ferrer, Washington Nationals

All four of these guys made at least 60 appearances this year, and two of them (Milner and Ferrer) held left-handed batters to a WHIP under 1.0. Yet apart from Strahm — who fanned 10.1 batters per nine innings — this group mostly fits the same mold as Caleb Ferguson: strike-throwing specialists who specialize more in ground balls than swings and misses.

The silver lining in the background is that the Mariners are going to have Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash, Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo at the back end of their bullpen no matter what. But in case anyone was holding out hope for a super-pen, the goal would seem to be to build a merely functional bullpen.