With another key injury, it's time for Jerry Dipoto to make a big splash

This Mariners team has been a very fun team to watch. This pitching staff is going on a historic run that we haven't seen in quite some time. The "big three" is turning into the "big four" as Bryce Miller looks like he is taking the next step to becoming a legit number two or three starter. Emerson Hancock has had his ups and downs (with the latest down seeing him sent down to AAA), but the return of Bryan Woo should give them more confidence in the back end.

Unfortunately, the significant changes to the offense this offseason haven't yielded a lot of positive results. They still lead the league in strikeouts, bottom 10 in runs scored and bottom 10 in on-base percentage.

The Mariners need to make a move to assuage their injury woes

One of the biggest strengths of this team, even over the last five or six years, has been the bullpen. They dealt from that sending Isaiah Campbell and Justin Topa away, but they added an elite arm in Gregory Santos. It seemed like this bullpen was going to match and even maybe surpass the talent that filled this starting rotation.

The Mariners were then dealt a couple of big blows with Santos and Matt Brash getting shut down with arm injuries. We have now learned that Brash doesn't seem like he will pitch this year and Santos should be back in the next few weeks or so. Even with that, this bullpen has still been solid, but in part due to the dominance of this starting rotation.

However, they were dealt another big blow as Taylor Saucedo went down with what we now know is a knee injury and Scott Servais stated that he will be out for a while. It is early and you don't want to rely on your starters throwing seven innings every start, so solidifying this bullpen should be priority number one for Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander.

The Mariners need to address this bullpen, and they could look to a team that has already signaled the white flag for this year, the Miami Marlins. The Marlins have a few interesting arms that could add some talent to this bullpen. Targeting someone like Tanner Scott, who will be a free agent after this year could be a cheaper option. Scott has a 2.57 ERA this year, but his 9.0 BB/9 raises some concerns. Calvin Faucher is another interesting arm that has been really good this year. His 10.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 with a 2.31 ERA would slot in nicely next to Stanek in the mid-to-high leverage situations.

The Mariners could also turn to teams that have a low chance of contending like the Rockies (not known for pitching), who have a couple of interesting bullpen arms like Victor Vodnik or Jalen Beeks. Is this the year the Cardinals finally blow things up to reset? If so, I would be aggressive in trying to pry one of their solid bullpen arms away (and there are plenty). Guys like Ryan Helsley, Matthew Liberator, JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge, and even Ryan Fernandez are all enticing with different cost levels. All could provide a big boost to this bullpen.

There is no better time than now for Dipoto and Hollander to show that they want to win now and that they will do what it takes to put together a team ready to contend. This becomes even more important when you factor in how bad the Astros have been and the injuries the Rangers have been dealt. This is the year that they need to make a big splash and do it early. Prove to fans and players that this team is one that can win a championship.