The Mariners’ bullpen problems have been impossible to ignore this season, and the numbers only underline how rough it’s been. Seattle’s relief corps has been carrying a team ERA that sits 22nd in the majors overall, 29th since the start of June and last in baseball since Aug. 1.
That’s why a pitcher like Camilo Doval would have made sense as a flyer for the Mariners. The Pirates designated him for assignment on Tuesday, according to Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com, after acquiring him from the Yankees at the trade deadline as a reclamation project. It didn’t take: Doval posted a 3.79 ERA and 1.737 WHIP across 19.0 innings in 20 appearances for Pittsburgh.
Even with those struggles, Doval still had the kind of profile Seattle often targets. He was an All-Star with the Giants three years ago, and Pirates manager Don Kelly said the talent remains there even after the decision to DFA him. Instead of becoming available to the Mariners, though, he wound up back where it started after the Giants claimed him.
That’s what makes this one sting for Seattle. No team seems to lean into discarded pitchers and second chances quite like the Mariners, and while those bets don’t always hit, they’ve had real success stories. Paul Sewald, Erik Swanson, Justin Topa and Gabe Speier all fit that mold.
Doval would have been a familiar kind of gamble. His biggest issue is throwing strikes, but Seattle has a track record of helping pitchers in that exact area. The stuff is still there too, headlined by a 98-99 mph fastball that ranks in the 95th percentile and a slider that can play.
Whether he can get back to something close to his 2023 level, when he led the NL in saves, remains to be seen. But for a Mariners club that needs bullpen help badly, Doval looked like the kind of low-risk, high-reward arm worth taking a shot on. If nothing else, this missed opportunity should sharpen the urgency around fixing a bullpen that still needs plenty of work.
In Other News...
Mariners Next Manager Call May Come Down To One Crucial Choice
As the Mariners look ahead to 2027, the conversation around their next manager is already beginning to take shape with Dan Wilson unlikely to return. One name that naturally fits into the discussion is Torey Lovullo, the current Diamondbacks manager, who brings both experience and a past connection to Seattle executive Jerry Dipoto.
Lovullo is in the final year of his contract in Arizona, and his status there is far from settled, which only adds another layer to Seattles planning. For the Mariners, the appeal is obvious: a familiar baseball mind with a track record and an existing relationship in the front office, even if the timing and the broader managerial market could end up deciding how real that fit becomes. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Just Gave The AL West Race New Life
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For Seattle, the win did more than protect pride in one game. It kept the division chase alive in a real way, but the math remains unforgiving: the Mariners still need to win their final four games and get some help from both Houston and Texas if theyre going to finish the job and take the AL West. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Are Finally Near A Dan Wilson Decision Fans Expected Much Sooner
Dan Wilsons tenure in the Mariners dugout appears to be nearing its end, and the timing has the feel of something the club has been bracing for rather than reacting to. A resolution on his future is expected shortly after the 2026 season wraps, with the most likely window coming around the Tuesday after the final game, and the front office may use a press conference to explain where things stand. John Stanton and Jerry Dipoto are expected to be central voices if and when the club addresses the move.
For Seattle, the bigger picture is less about the formality of the announcement than what comes next. Wilsons exit is expected to be presented as a mutual parting rather than a clean firing, which would soften the edges of a significant transition while still signaling a new direction. The Mariners are already weighing potential replacements, even if no official decision has been made, and the lingering question now is how quickly the organization moves from the end of one era to the start of the next. [Read more 🡒]