3 options to replace Matt Brash in Mariners bullpen after news of his injury

Coming into the 2023 offseason, there were a lot of questions surrounding the Mariners bullpen. They had traded the leader of the bullpen, Paul Sewald, to the Diamondbacks and the bullpen was worked pretty hard down the stretch. Guys like Justin Topa and Gabe Speier were forced to step up and they performed well but were maybe one rung too high in the bullpen ladder. They made a few additions on the back end of the bullpen and 40-man roster, but nothing close to replacing or adding to the high-leverage spot.

They then traded Justin Topa away to acquire Jorge Polanco, making a lot of fans question where this bullpen stood. They had Matt Brash and Andres Munoz, and then it was going to come down to guys like Gabe Speier, Taylor Saucedo, and trusting that Dipoto and Hollander could find a diamond in the rough. That is, until they traded for the young, elite Gregory Santos. Fans began drooling at the three-headed monster the Mariners had rebuilt after losing Sewald.

Mariners' fans were dealt a significant blow after news broke that Matt Brash could face a significant absence in 2024 with an arm injury. The extent isn't known yet, but from the sounds of it, it doesn't look good. The Mariners are in a fairly similar situation as they were prior to the Santos trade. They will likely roll into the season as is, but what if they surprise us (as they have done all offseason) and add another solid bullpen arm.

Option #1: Mariners target best remaining free agent, Ryne Stanek

A personal favorite of mine all offseason, Ryne Stanek, has still gone unsigned and is looking for a team to join for spring training. There is still plenty of time for Stanek to join the squad and get ready for opening day, assuming he has been working out and getting his arm ready.

Stanek is one of the more underrated relievers on this market, and it's surprising that he is still a free agent. The 32-year-old was one of the better relievers in 2021 and 2022 with a strikeout rate over 10 K/9 each season. He had an incredible run in 2022, as the Astros went on to win the World Series. He had a miniscule 1.15 ERA over 54.2 innings limiting batters to just a .3 HR/9. This seems like the outlier year as the home run rate was the only year he has surrendered less than one home run per nine innings. He's got quite the highlight video as well.

Stanek shouldn't be all that expensive either, which could be an important factor for GM, Jerry Dipoto. This late in the year, Stanek might not have a ton of leverage, and a team like the Mariners might offer him the most opportunities for mid-to-high leverage opportunities. I think it would be pretty easy to get him in the Mariners spring training facilities on a one-year deal worth maybe $2M-$3M, a pretty low risk move, with significant upside.

Option 3: Recently acquired flamethrower, Carlos Vargas

This is perhaps the most obvious and realistic option to replace the injured Matt Brash. Vargas also likely possesses the highest upside of any pitcher on this list. Acquired in one of the most controversial topics of this offseason, Vargas is often forgot about. With just 4.2 major league innings, it is easy to overlook the youngster as a potential high leverage option; make no mistake about it, Vargas has the stuff to be in the conversation with Brash, Santos and Munoz.

The biggest issue with Vargas has been the walks, with a walk rate of four-to-six per nine innings in his time in the minor leagues between the Cleveland Guardians and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Vargas, however, has elite stuff with serious strikeout potential (something that is absolutely necessary for a high leverage option). He recently showcased as much when he sat down priced Giants offseason acquisition Jung Hoo Lee in a recent ST game.

Vargas' stuff has all of the makings of a high leverage reliever with a fastball that sits in the upper-90's touching 100, as well as slider/cutter in the low-to-mid 90's with some really good spin. Though Vargas' production hasn't been great, his stuff has the potential to be an elite high leverage option. I would fully expect the Mariners to roll with the bullpen as is, and don't be surprised if they find another high leverage reliever in Carlos Vargas in 2024.