What good can come out of Mariners starting pitching controversy?

In the end, the Seattle Mariners couldn't quit the piggyback. It will be making its comeback on Friday, with Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo pairing for a home game against the Boston Red Sox. "Get excited," he said, albeit it with an uncertain mix of sarcasm and seriousness.

Hey, at least there's a twist this time around. Instead of just Miller and Castillo, all six starters will be participating from now until the All-Star break. It's the most equitable shift for the piggyback on paper, and that much more so given the apparently unanimous buy-in for the plan by all involved parties.

This alone is a step up from the Mariners' first go-round with the piggyback, as neither Miller or Castillo bothered concealing how much they didn't like the arrangement. Miller deserved better based on his pitching, while Castillo deserved better based on his track record. The bad vibes were too much for Dan Wilson to contain, hence the sense of relief when the piggyback got shelved for a six-man rotation on Seattle's last road trip.

There actually could be positive impacts of the Mariners' return to the piggyback

It's possible that the bad energy could resurface all over again, and that's not even the worst-case scenario. Everyone taking part in the piggyback this time around means that everyone will have to alter their routine in some way, and that's where you fear bad pitching more than bad vibes.

If anything, though, there could be widespread underestimation of the good that can come from the Mariners' return to the piggyback.

1. It Keeps Everyone Healthier

When Miller and Castillo were the Mariners' piggyback duo for three games between May 19 and 31, they averaged 75 and 64 pitches, respectively. Both are sizable steps down from the 90 pitches that Mariners starters have averaged this season. Assuming this pattern holds, the least it will do is help keep all six arms fresh.

That's not a bad thing just in the abstract, and it could prove to be a season-saver in the long run. Though it was Eduard Bazardo who was the final scapegoat, the Mariners didn't make it to the World Series last year in large part because their starters were gassed by the end of the ALCS.

2. It Actually Works

For all the drama that surrounded it, the piggyback worked in its first run. Miller and Castillo combined to pitch 27 innings, allowing just five earned runs in the process. The bullpen only needed to handle one inning in their three outings — and yeah, it suffices to say the bullpen could use a break like that right now.

Altogether, the Mariners led MLB with a 2.45 ERA between the first and third piggyback games. The team went 8-3 in that span, so it's a stretch that looms pretty large in a season where the Mariners are just 38-37 overall.

3. It Helps Raise Trade Value

Barring an injury, the best way out of the starting pitching surplus that has landed the Mariners in this pickle is a trade. And if the piggyback does indeed keep everyone healthy and firing on all cylinders, that outcome could end up being unavoidable.

We can kick around trade concepts involving any of the starters, but this is really about Castillo. He did his best pitching of the year (11.1 IP, 2.38 ERA, 2.65 FIP) when he was working in the piggyback. If that's the case once again, the Mariners could have their last good chance to get out of his contract.

4. It's a Proof of Concept for a Kade Anderson-Ryan Sloan Duo

If you think the Mariners have too much starting pitching now, just wait until Anderson and Sloan are knocking on the door to the big leagues. And that moment is coming, as Adam Jude of The Seattle Times says the two top prospects are expected to be in the mix later this summer.

Could they end up working as a piggyback tandem? It's strictly a speculative idea, but one that could make sense if the piggyback sequel goes as well as the original.

Using the left-handed Anderson and the right-handed Sloan as a tandem would allow the Mariners to show the opposition wildly different looks, which is to say nothing of the talent that has them rated as MLB Pipeline's No. 8 and No. 19 prospects, respectively. Capping their pitch counts would also be wise. Anderson, 21, is in his first pro season, while Sloan is a 20-year-old with a high of 82.0 innings.

Even if this part doesn't come to pass, the return of the piggyback may well have more upside than downside. It's hard to admit as much without a begrudging feeling, but nobody will be in a position to complain if Ws start going on the board.

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