Mariners' unexpected piggyback plot twist only heightens the need for a trade

The Mariners made a peculiar announcement recently, declaring the return of their practice of piggyback pitching with one new twist: everyone would be taking part. In the first iteration, Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller worked in tandem, the argument being that the latter needed more time to ramp up after returning from the injured list and the former simply hadn't been very effective on the mound.

When it was originally announced that the team would be bringing it back, it was assumed that it would focus on a pitcher who had been on a bit of a rough stretch recently, someone like Emerson Hancock. Instead, Seattle wants to move forward with a plan that involves all six starters on the roster making at least one piggyback appearance between now and the All-Star break.

It's a compromise of sorts and while it could work for the next month or so, it's indicative of a more glaring issue.

The Mariners' determination to retain their excess of starting pitching could be leaving money on the table

While most other MLB teams struggle to string together more than two quality arms in their rotation, Seattle has been blessed with a solid core of starters that hasn't changed much since 2023. Their depth in this part of the roster has been a point of envy for other organizations who have tried and failed to strike deals at the deadline and in the offseason. The conviction of the front office has allowed all of these players to remain in Seattle but it turns out, it is possible to have too much of a good thing.

Now, the Mariners don't have enough starts and innings to go around. To further press the issue, it has been reported that the club's top two pitching prospects, Ryan Sloan and Kade Anderson, could debut this year as well. The team is receiving diminishing marginal returns from all of this pitching talent while other parts of their roster continue to suffer. One of the most glaring issues is the lack of offensive production against left-handed pitchers. Seattle's .636 OPS against southpaws is 30th in MLB.

Another problem that has only just started to rear its ugly head is the team's current injury epidemic which has sidelined Brendan Donovan and Randy Arozarena, two of the lineup's most impactful bats. The infield has held its own in Donovan's absence thus far, but Arozarena's understudies in Rob Refsnyder and Victor Robles are quite a step down.

A couple of Mariners' starting pitchers have already been involved in trade rumors. Luis Castillo has been the most discussed option but George Kirby has appeared in some speculation related to Tarik Skubal. Because of their position in the market, Seattle should have considerable negotiating leverage regardless of who they decide to offer.

Trade activity won't really pick up until closer to the deadline, when more teams have a clearer idea of whether they'll be buyers or sellers. But the Mariners are in a clearer pickle. They have more pitchers than they know what to do with and while their current methods of managing the excess could work in the interim, the longer term option is to part with some of the surplus and round out the roster enough to make a real run this postseason.

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