Seattle Mariners closer – An outside the box option
While the Seattle Mariners aren’t expected to win the World Series in 2021, contending for a division title isn’t out of the question. To compete, they’ll need a closer.
One of the holes the Seattle Mariners need to fill is a reliable closer. It’s been a while since the M’s could turn a ninth-inning lead over to their closer and say “hey, fuggedaboudit” (with a NY accent). Most Mariners fans don’t even need a fuggedaboudit guy. They would settle for someone who doesn’t give them indigestion.
The team hasn’t had a lights-out closer since they traded away Edwin “Sugar” Diaz before the 2019 season. Of course, no fan will be upset about that trade, provided Jarred Kelenic pans out the way everyone thinks he’s capable of doing.
Free agent closer market
So, how does Emerald City’s favorite baseball team rectify this issue? There are options.
The current list of free agent relievers isn’t overly enticing. Besides Liam Hendriks, Archie Bradley, Blake Treinen, and Kirby Yates, the list is mainly comprised of eighth-inning guys who could be ninth-inning guys. Either that or relief pitchers who failed miserably as closers and teams no longer consider for that role.
Hendricks and Yates are the prized closers. Either would probably be out of the M’s price range. Besides, Hendricks is 31-years-old, and Yates is 34. Bradley and Treinen are considerations, but they’re no longer the dominant relief pitchers they used to be.
Here is a way out of the box approach to filling the closer’s role. Chris Archer can be the reclamation project DiPoto loves to go after. He certainly has the stuff to be a dominating closer.