Dan Wilson has been stuck in one of those ugly stretches where every bullpen decision looks wrong after the fact, and the numbers behind it are brutal.
Seattle’s relievers have been in free fall over the last month, and the latest evidence came on Monday when MLB Network posted a graphic after the Mariners were swept in three games by the Toronto Blue Jays. Since Aug. 2, the Mariners bullpen had an ERA of 8.14 and an opponents batting average of .313. That 8.14 mark was the worst in baseball by more than two full runs, with the next-worst at 5.66.
And that snapshot already looked bad before the Mariners added more damage. In Tuesday’s 9-8 loss to the Red Sox, Seattle’s bullpen allowed four runs from Eduard Bazardo, Andres Munoz and Cooper Criswell.
A day later, in an 8-3 win, the relief corps still gave up five more runs, this time from Carlos Vargas and Hoby Milner. Even the victory came with a hit to the pitching staff, as Michael Rucker allowed two runs in Wednesday’s game.
Put those three games into the mix, and the picture gets even uglier than the MLB Network graphic suggested.
That’s the bind Wilson is living in. If he leaves a starter in too long, he risks asking for trouble.
If he turns to the bullpen at the “right” time, he may just be setting himself up for another round of damage. Either way, he’s the one left holding the bag, especially with a public already inclined to blame him.
On Thursday’s most recent “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast, ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney was asked about that exact dynamic.
"That's exactly right. And I do think that the conversation around managers, generally speaking, is related to how good their bullpen is.
Because if they have a bad bullpen, no matter what they do, no matter who they call out of the bullpen, if they're struggling, that's going to be a problem. The manager is going to look bad.
That's just the way it goes."
Seattle enters Thursday at 66-74, five games behind in the American League West race and 4.5 games back in the chase for the third wild card spot. The Mariners face the Athletics on Thursday at 6:40 p.m. PT.
In Other News...
Mariners Suddenly Have A Lazaro Montes Concern They Cant Ignore
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The early read offered at least some relief, with X-rays coming back negative, but that does not fully settle the matter for Seattle. The Mariners are now left to monitor Montes and see whether the soreness fades or lingers, and for a team already keeping close tabs on its depth and development, even a clean scan is only the first step in figuring out what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Face An Urgent Clubhouse Question As Season Slips Away
As the Mariners try to steady a season that keeps slipping farther out of reach, Buster Olney used the "Refuse to Lose Territory" podcast to raise a clubhouse issue that goes well beyond lineup cards and bullpen usage. The ESPN MLB insider focused on accountability inside the organization, noting the way modern managers usually avoid publicly calling out players because they do not want to crack team cohesion, and pointing to Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks as an example of that wider reality.
For Seattle, the sharper question is who inside the room is willing and able to do that work from within. Olney framed it as a leadership problem as much as a performance one, asking which Mariners players have the voice and standing to hold teammates to a higher standard while the losses keep piling up. It is the kind of concern that can linger in a clubhouse long after the immediate slump fades, and for a team still searching for traction, it only adds to the pressure on everyone involved. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Bullpen Takes Another Hit As New Reliever Gets His Chance
The Mariners relief corps took another blow when Matt Brash was shut down for the rest of the season because of continued inflammation in his right lat, closing the book on his 2027 campaign. Seattle also had to navigate Hoby Milners placement on the family medical emergency list, which opened the door for a fresh arm and forced the club to keep piecing together its bullpen depth in real time.
Into that spot steps Taylor, a right-hander the Mariners recalled as they try to absorb the latest loss without letting the late innings slip further away. His track record has been uneven in the minors and in the majors, with some recent struggles mixed in with enough promise to keep him in the conversation as a bullpen option, and now Seattle will get another look at whether he can handle a larger role. [Read more 🡒]