Seattle Mariners and the death of the traditional closer
How does all this relate to the Seattle Mariners?
In Scott Servais’ first few years as the Seattle Mariners skipper, he used a traditional bullpen style; one closer and a setup man. The two seasons prior to 2021 he started to evolve. Granted some of that was out of circumstance. The team didn’t have many good options and the good ones they did have were traded away to help the Seattle Mariners in the future.
Last year was different. Servais went into the year with the notion that he’d have one guy be his closer, Rafael Montero. As previously mentioned, the team ended the year with three different relievers having 10 saves or more.
At the end of the year, Servais utilized a trio of relief pitchers to close out games, Paul Sewald, Drew Steckenrider, and Diego Castillo. On any given night one of these three would be called on to either close out a game or get the Seattle Mariners out of a tight jam. The fact that Servais had three reliable relief pitchers to effectively end games allowed him to lean on his bullpen.
Going into 2022, the Seattle Mariners will continue having a strong bullpen. It was one of the strengths at the end of the 2021 season. Castilo, Steckenrider, and Sewald will all be back a part of the pen next year. They’ll be accompanied by Casey Sadler, Erik Swanson, Andres Munoz, and Ken Giles. If the main trio can repeat their 2021 success, Giles can return to form (or close to it) and Munoz can live up to the hype, Servais will have a lot more reliable options to end ball games. It will also allow Servais to better utilize his relievers to maximize their success.
What do you think about the Seattle Mariners’ contribution to the death of the traditional closer? Let us know in the comments section below.