Mariners Log: 2017 Season Preview, Part II – Bullpen corps

As with most MLB teams, the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen is in a continuous state of flux. With opening day quickly approaching, there are a few knowns, but the Mariners are still sorting out some of the roles and duties.

Here then is Part II of our 2017 Season Preview: The Bullpen.

(2017 Season Preview, Part I: The Rotation)

The closer

The biggest known is the most important: Edwin Diaz returns for his first full season as closer. He just turned 23 last week, so there’s no track record to fall back on, especially since he started the ’16 season as a starter at AA. But he was most impressive in 49 games last season, striking out 15.3 per nine innings (eighth all-time for a reliever with 40-plus innings) and racking up 18 saves, using a devastating fastball-slider combo to dominate.

Not to take anything away from Diaz at all, but it’s remarkable that a guy who started the season in relative anonymity as a starter in Double-A can convert to relief midseason and by season’s end be considered one of the top closing arms in the game. The job is just that fickle.

After Diaz, the best three arms in the pen are still nursing injuries, leaving the door wide open for others to impress and become part of the pecking order. Once they’re all healthy though, the bullpen could be one for the M’s biggest strengths.

The injured

First, the walking wounded. Former closer Steve Cishek, 30, should be the set-up man once he’s fully recovered from hip surgery. The wiry righty owns a pair of 30-save seasons with the Marlins in ’13-’14 and appeared well on his way last year until the hip derailed him, pitching to a 2.81 ERA and 1.016 WHIP over 64 innings, earned 25 saves.

But he went on the D.L., Edwin Diaz happened, and now Cishek is a set-up guy. Closers are born of opportunity, and Cishek will have to wait for his next chance. He’ll open up on the D.L. but should be back sometime in mid-late April.

Hard-throwing Tony Zych, 26, might beat Cishek to Seattle, but not by much. He had biceps surgery last season after impressive spurts the last two seasons in short trials. He is facing live hitting finally and appeared in spring training game on Sunday in his first action since Oct. 11 biceps surgery. He could be available by the week the M’s play their home opener on April 10. His mid-90s heat and above-average slider makes for a good late-inning combo.

Shae Simmons is the third reliever that will start the season on the D.L. with a strained muscle in his forearm. Simmons has missed most of the past two seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery so any injury with his arm is a red flag, but the team is hopeful this isn’t related to the surgery. When healthy he boasts a mid-90s fastball with strong ground-ball inducing tilt.

So who’s left?

Veteran lefty Marc Rzepczynski, 31, signed a two-year deal to do what he’s been doing his entire career – get lefties out. He had some BABiP related struggles early last season in Oakland but after he was dealt to Washington he gathered steam and finished on a high note, prompting the nice contract he signed in Seattle. He has lost a tick off the fastball, but he produces an elite ground-ball rate and owns a successful track record.

The right-handed section of the pen will include Dan Altavilla, Nick Vincent, Evan Scribner and Casey Fien.

Altavilla, 24, flashes a triple-digit fastball he uses to miss bats and induce grounders and has proven adept against both righties and lefties. In any other bullpen, Altavilla’s skills would have fans and front office alike salivating with the possibilities.

As it is, he should quickly become a high-strikeout late inning option until Cishek and Zych get back, then become a dangerous, mid-game high-leverage solution.

Vincent missed time with a bad back last year but has always managed a decent K rate despite lack of a top-end fastball. Scribner is a control specialist with a fastball that sits around 90 and Fien once looked like the heir apparent to the closer position in Minnesota but rather has turned into a reliable middle guy with respectable K and BB numbers.

James Pazos, acquired during the offseason from the Yankees, and Dean Kiekhefer are both lefties battling for a spot open due to the injuries, while Nick Hagadone and Jonathan Aro offer further options from the left side.