New Reliever #1 Jhonathan Diaz
One of the best stories in Spring Training so far has been the play of pitcher Jhonathan Diaz. The Mariners took a chance on the 27-year-old after the Angels released him following the 2023 season. Diaz has been both a starting pitcher and a reliever for the Angels for the past three seasons. He has been up and down from AAA Salt Lake and the major leagues during that time. Diaz has a 4.84 ERA in the big leagues while posting a 3.66 ERA in his minor league career.
In Spring Training, Diaz has made three appearances giving up just two earned runs in six innings pitched, striking out seven, and walking none. He has done a good job of showing what he is capable of. The question is can Diaz continue to be effective enough to make the Opening Day roster? The Mariners already have two left-handed relievers in Gabe Speier and Tayler Saucedo. Would they want to add another lefty?
What might be beneficial for Diaz, is the Mariners currently do not have any left-handed starting pitching options. Should the Mariners want a lefty who could make spot starts for their roster, Diaz is a possible fit. The Mariners have done a tremendous job of converting starting pitchers to relievers in the past. Kendall Graveman and Matt Brash are fine examples of that. Perhaps the Mariners could try to do the same with Jhonathan Diaz as well.