When September roster expansion arrives, the Mariners won’t be looking to fill space. They’ll be looking for players who can help right away, with two extra active-roster spots opening on Sept. 1 as the club goes from 26 to 28 players and can carry as many as 14 pitchers.
That approach makes every potential addition matter. Seattle wants another bat it can plug into a close game, plus another reliever Dan Wilson can trust when the bullpen gets stretched. The goal is usefulness, not ceremony.
A few of the names in the mix are straightforward minor-league call-up candidates, but the picture could shift before Seattle makes any promotion at all. Brendan Donovan and Matt Brash would count as IL activations if they are cleared, and both belong in the conversation because their health could change how the roster looks.
Among the true call-up options, Arroyo looks like the favorite. He can handle second base and the outfield, and he gives the Mariners the right-handed bat they need.
That kind of flexibility makes him more than a simple placeholder. Seattle could spot him into the lineup against left-handed pitching, give him selective starts and still keep enough defensive options available to shuffle things late.
Bliss also has a path into the picture. Through Aug. 27, he was hitting .241/.330/.391 with three home runs, 11 RBI and seven steals without being caught in 21 games.
The bat alone may not force the issue, but his defensive versatility could. Bliss has played shortstop in 14 games and second base in seven, while also logging time at third base and center field.
Donovan, though, could eliminate the need for a search altogether. He was put on the seven-day concussion IL retroactive to Aug. 22 and was still dealing with symptoms as of Aug.
- If his recovery lines up with roster expansion, the Mariners would be getting back a versatile regular instead of trying to piece together a replacement.
Brash brings a similar kind of uncertainty, only with even more late-inning value attached. He had been aiming for an early-September return from a right lat strain, though as of Aug. 25 the Mariners still had not set a rehab assignment timeline. It would be a surprise if he is activated by Sept. 1, but with Seattle trying to gain ground in the AL West, it wouldn’t be surprising if he returns after just one rehab appearance.
In Other News...
Mariners Trade Call On Harry Ford Looks Better But One Doubt Remains
When the Mariners sent Harry Ford to Washington for left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer, it looked like the kind of deal that could be judged in layers, with Seattle hoping to cash in on a prospect and stabilize the bullpen in one move. Ferrer has done his part on the Mariners side, giving the club the steady relief help it wanted, while Ford has faced a tougher adjustment in the Nationals system.
The defense has held up, which keeps Ford from drifting too far off the radar, but the bat has not matched the expectations that once made him such an appealing trade piece. His Triple-A numbers have lagged and his brief time in the majors has not changed the larger question, leaving Washington to sort out whether there is still a path for him to become more than a glove-first option. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Bullpen Woes Make One Deadline Miss Look Even Worse
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Erik Miller was one of the names the Mariners passed on before the deadline, and he ended up going to the Boston Red Sox instead. Boston has already gotten the kind of return Seattle was looking for, with Miller throwing strikes, limiting damage and posting a low ERA, which makes the missed opportunity sting a little more as the Mariners continue trying to stabilize the late innings. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Stretch Run Could Hinge On Which Young Bats Get The Call
September is about to give the Mariners a little more roster flexibility, and that opens the door for some of the organizations younger names to enter the conversation. With active rosters expanding from 26 to 28 on Sept. 1 and clubs still able to carry as many as 14 pitchers, Seattle is expected to bring up at least one position player and one arm as it tries to sort out the final weeks of the season. That extra room could also make a six-man rotation part of the mix, giving the front office a chance to balance health, depth and the demands of the stretch run.
The position-player side is where the real intrigue starts, because the Mariners have a handful of candidates who could be asked to help right away. Michael Arroyo, Lazaro Montes, Leo Rivas and Ryan Bliss are all in the picture, while Cooper Criswell is working his way back from injury and could be an option on the pitching side by September. For a team trying to keep pace late, the decision may come down to which young bats are ready for the jump and which ones can offer the best immediate spark without forcing Seattle to compromise too much elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]