Mariners urged to take a closer look at this reliever with a funky arm slot

Jared Bloom

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Mariners urged to take a closer look at this reliever with a funky arm slot image

The Seattle Mariners are coming off a fantastic season. They made it all the way to the ALCS, taking the Toronto Blue Jays to seven games, but it would be the Blue Jays that would move on to the World Series. 

Part of the reason why Seattle was so good in 2025 came from its bullpen. They finished the regular season with a bullpen ERA of 3.72, which was the ninth-best across MLB. 

Obviously, the offense and players like Cal Raleigh, Julio Roriguez, and Randy Arozarena were also a big reason, but you cannot overlook what the bullpen did. Now going into the offseason, they are looking to make an upgrade, bringing in a reliever on the open market or as part of a trade. 

Mariners urged to take a closer look at this reliever with a funky arm slot

Ideally, the Mariners would like to bring in a left-handed reliever to help stabilize the bullpen. They could turn their attention to Hoby Milner, who is sitting on the open market. 

However, being right-handed is not a deal breaker. In fact, The Seattle Times' Adam Jude makes the argument that the club should sign Tyler Rogers. 

"The submarine-style right-hander – who turns 35 on Dec. 17 – had the slowest fastball in the majors this year, averaging 83.5 mph. Even so, he was one of baseball's most valuable relievers, posting a 1.98 ERA in 81 appearances between the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. Rogers gets very little swing-and-miss, but he consistently generated weak contact, with a 62.1% groundball rate and the second-lowest walk rate (2.35) of any pitcher in MLB, which makes him a pretty ideal fit for the Mariners and their pitching philosophy."

Rogers, who has one of the most unique arm slots in all of baseball, has the ability to generate weak contact better than most. That would play well in what is described as a pitcher-friendly park in Seattle.

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