3 players on Mariners' 40-man roster they should DFA in favor of Levi Stoudt

Jerry Dipoto, the Mariner's President of Baseball Operations, and Justin Hollander, the General Manager, shipped some quality starting rotation depth out the door in their effort to remake the lineup. Southpaws Marco Gonzales, Robbie Ray, and longtime Tacoma Rainier Darren McCaughan are in the National League with the Pirates, Giants, and Marlins, respectively. The result is a large gap between the estimated starting five and quality depth in the minor leagues. 

The current depth chart shows the following three: Emerson Hancock, Jackson Kowar, and Tyson Ross. There will undoubtedly be more candidates for the Tacoma rotation since a couple of dozen non-roster invite pitchers, also known as camp arms, are headed to Peoria this week. One of those contenders could be a former Mariner who's back on the market, righthander Levi Stoudt. 

The Mariners shipped Stoudt and three additional prospects to Cinncinati in the 2022 Luis Castillo trade. The 26-year-old starter was a Top 15 prospect in the Mariners' system but lost some of his shine after the trade. This season, he made his Major League Debut with mediocre results in four games of work (two starts). Stoudt struck out nine batters over ten innings, which is pretty decent, but the walks are a problem (8 BB) and will be if the Mariners decide on a homecoming. 

If Dipoto and Hollander decide to bring Stoudt back into the fold, even if it is for depth in Tacoma, three 40-man players could be out of a job.