The Mariners know the bullpen needs help before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and Riley O'Brien has only become a more intriguing name to watch.
Last week, O'Brien already looked like a sensible target for Seattle. Now the right-hander’s profile is even brighter after he was added to the NL All-Star roster on Tuesday as a pitching replacement, according to Derrick Gold of the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch. It’s his first All-Star selection, and the numbers back it up: he has 22 saves in 26 chances, sits one behind the NL lead, and has just one blown save since May 10.
Seattle’s bullpen surface stats can make the group look sturdier than it really is. The Mariners rank fifth in the majors with a 3.52 team ERA, but that hasn’t stopped the unit from showing cracks, especially with Matt Brash, Carlas Vargas and Cooper Criswell all on the injured list. None of those three are expected back until August, and the relief corps can’t keep absorbing that kind of damage.
Dan Wilson’s bullpen choices have drawn plenty of second-guessing, including the collapse in the road rubber match against the Guardians. But the relievers have also been part of the problem themselves, and Tuesday night in Miami was the latest reminder when the bullpen let one get away again. O'Brien would give Seattle a much-needed stabilizing arm.
There’s a lot to like in his profile. O'Brien is in the middle of another strong season with St.
Louis after a career year last year, posting a 3.72 ERA and 1.156 WHIP. His sinker has become a real weapon, and he’s throwing it at a career-best 98.3 mph.
He’s also shown strong control and has been especially tough on right-handed hitters, holding them to a .190 batting average and a .525 OPS.
He’s not just a power arm, either. O'Brien has been a ground-ball machine, ranking in the 95th percentile for GB%.
At the same time, his sweeper has produced a 48.6 Whiff%, which gives Seattle a possible path to squeeze even more out of him if they lean into that pitch. He’d also offer dependable support for Andrés Muñoz, who has improved lately but still doesn’t exactly inspire calm every time he takes the mound.
The catch is whether St. Louis would actually move him.
O'Brien is under club control through 2030, which makes him a tough piece to pry loose. The Cardinals’ next few weeks could shape that decision, and they’ve been hanging around overall despite losing four straight and 12 of 19.
There is at least one connection that could matter here: the two front offices already spent plenty of time negotiating during the offseason before Brendan Donovan ended up with the Mariners. And if Jerry Dipoto wants another reason to revisit the idea, there’s also the fact that dealing O'Brien to the Cardinals after the 2023 season looks like a mistake in hindsight. Bringing the Seattle native back home would be one way to make it right.
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