Mariners Rumors: MLB insider hints at potential Seattle reunion with former closer

The Seattle Mariners bullpen has not been as elite as it has been in previous years this year. The bullpen the Mariners built on paper this offseason looked like it would be lights out, but due to injuries, we have not seen that version of the bullpen. Matt Brash needed Tommy John surgery that will keep him out all season and offseason trade acquisition Gregory Santos has yet to pitch for the Mariners this year. Both were expected to be high-leverage relievers for Seattle, but have been unavailable.

The bullpen last season was sixth in WAR according to Fangraphs and is currently just tenth in 2024. That is not a huge falloff, but the Mariners have been playing with narrow margins all year because the offense has not hit well enough to give the Mariners' elite starting pitchers the run support they need consistently.

Could the Mariners look to reunite with their former closer?

This along with the bullpen injuries has forced Seattle to put some pitchers in high-leverage spots when they should not be. The Mariners need more high-leverage relievers to help bridge the gap between the M's starters and elite closer Andres Muñoz. He has been electric all season long but after he tweaked his back on a play at the plate in Oakland, he was unavailable to close out a game against the Kansas City Royals where they led 9-7 going to the ninth inning and lost.

With the Mariners needing a high-leverage reliever to join Andres Muñoz at the back end of the bullpen, the Mariners should turn their eye to the trade market. There could be a former fan favorite available on the market, Paul Sewald. He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for three players who are all currently on the Mariners roster: Dominic Canzone, Josh Rojas, and Ryan Bliss. He could be a fun addition because he was adored by fans because of how good he was at the end of games.

The reason Sewald could be available is because the Diamondbacks have had a disappointing season after going all the way to the World Series last year. The Diamondbacks sit at 31-35 before their game starts on Monday and are 9.5 games back of their division and 1 game behind in the wild card, but have 5 teams to pass before they get a wild card spot. Jeff Passan was on Brock and Salk recently and had some interesting things to say about a potential reunion.

If the Diamondbacks continue to struggle, holding onto a rental reliever would be unwise because they would lose Sewald this offseason for nothing as a free agent. The Mariners could trade for Sewald who would not cost as much as he did last year because he would only be under contract through the end of the season. He would solidify the back end of the bullpen with his 0.87 ERA after missing the start of the season with an injury.

Bringing Sewald back would be exciting because he could rejoin Muñoz at the back of the Mariners bullpen and give Manager Scott Servais another guy he could be confident when giving the ball to. His addition would also be fun for fans because they loved him during his time in Seattle and he would be welcomed back to help this team try to return to the playoffs.