3 options for the Mariners to protect their Starting Pitching depth

Emerson Hancock, 1st round and 6th overall draft pick of 2020, is waiting to prove he’s worth the spot he was picked at. He likely opens the season as the ace of the Rainiers staff, though a familiar rest practice from last year might land him on the Opening Day roster. Easing your starters into the season by giving everybody an additional rest day running a 6 man rotation feels like a real option for Scott Servais.

It also gives a nod of belief to Hancock who would be breaking camp as a big leaguer for the first time. A few weeks into the season if Woo or Miller are feeling any pains from ramping up their workload they can take a beat. It’s entirely possible through proving he belongs and a combination of injury and performance that Emerson remains a Mariner all season long.

That still might largely play out even if he breaks spring camp with Tacoma. Either way, he’s the first line of defense for Servais to pencil in behind his very formidable starting five. There’s really no option 1B to his 1A as there is a significant drop off beyond the Mariners' number 11 ranked prospect. According to those rankings, there’s only one other starter, ranked number 21, projected to have a shot at this roster in 2024, and he's returning from an injury that essentially cost him 2023...

Bet your bottom (Taylor) Dollard 

2022 Texas League Post-Season All-Star & Pitcher of the Year, Baseball America AA All-Star, and MiLB.com Organization All-Star Taylor Dollard. If the multitude of awards got you thinking “Why haven’t people been talking about this guy all Spring?”, then let me remind you of the dark night full of terrors that was 2023 for Taylor.

After battling through just 8.1 innings at AAA Tacoma we learned that labrum surgery was in the cards for the now 25-year-old. Any chance at building on his immense success in 2022 was erased. Dollard hasn’t pitched yet in spring as of this writing so he will likely take his time to get up to speed in Tacoma before he can be called upon.

As improbable as it might sound the Mariners may just have another tandem of young broncos in the stable ready to be let loose. When Anthony DeSclafini was traded away before ever playing in Seattle it sent a message about how confident DiPoto and Hollander are in guys like Dollard. However, I think from a fan perspective counting on another miracle is a bit reckless regardless of who you expect it to come from.

What’s the plan here then?

There isn’t a single starter on the roster outside of the existing five that has much of any MLB experience. The truth is that the Mariners' rotation is so good that the depth pieces previously on this team were talented veterans who expect and deserve to have a rotation spot. Marco, Flexen, and Robbie Ray are not Triple-A players. On top of that the price tags on each of those guys were not going to be justified as depth.

DeSclafani fits in that same group but his arrival and then departure tells us something about the thought process that got us to where we are. It’s very possible that the front office saw the same glaring need at depth that the rest of us did when he was acquired. At the time it was assumed he would be part of a six man rotation or in the pen getting regular work.

I admit that role seemed beneath a guy who has 169 career starts under his belt across 9 seasons. When DiPoto and Hollander pulled the trigger on the Jorge Polanco deal that sent Tony packing they had to evaluate what they would be leaving in the cupboard. Unless there’s a 4A starting pitcher acquisition imminent this fan has to believe that rolling the dice on the kids already here is the plan. If the Mariners make it to June or so without major issues that plan might just be good enough. 

Just for fun

If we had to sign a starter right now there’s a pretty hefty list of available guys but there isn’t a single one of them that Spotrac has a projected value for that doesn't push up against 10 million. Yeesh. 

Lots of love and Go Mariners!