Player who should be extended later: Matt Brash, RHP
Yes, I think the Mariners should wait to extend Matt Brash. That does not mean I think he is not worth an extension. Relievers are never a sure thing, and extending one with some walk issues scares me. He averaged 3.7 walks per 9 innings. While that is not terrible, the last thing I want a high leverage reliever to do is walk people. His walk rate did improve drastically from 2022. He walked 5.9 batters per 9 innings in 2022, so maybe he improves that even more in 2024.
THe Mariners pitching lab has shown enough to me to not worry about the bullpen anymore. Jerry Dipoto is a lot of things, but he sure has an eye for finding diamonds in the rough for the bullpen. Paul Sewald, Justin Topa, Gabe Speier and Tayler Saucedo were all cast away players from other teams, and all of those guys contributed in a huge way for the 2023 Mariners. Also, Brash is locked up through the 2028 season, so the Mariners can take their time with him.
Matt's fastball averages 98.1 MPH, which puts him in the 96th percentile fot velocity. He throws his slider more than any other pitch, more than 50% of his pitches. I don't want to put this into the ether, but how long can his arm hold up? The Mariners already have Andres Munoz locked up, and I am sure Brash will be extended sometime soon. I just hope he is not the #1 priority moving forward.