As we wait with bated breath for this very talented Seattle Mariners team to play up to their true talent level, I will continue to pose questions and prompts regarding anxiety levels surround various facts of the team. This week we’re discussing the most naturally anxiety-producing part of the team: the bullpen! I asked y’all in the FEED to rank your top three Mariners relievers you are most worried about and the results did not make me feel less worried, that’s for sure. But, it’s good to air it all out.
Let’s get into it and rate some TAKES.
First off, once again here’s my Trademarked Mariners Hot Take Ranking System:
All right, let’s see what y’all’s top three picks are.
Your third most worrisome Mariners reliever is….
Luis Castillo?!?!
Famously a starting pitcher, Castillo’s recent decline in performance has apparently has many fans ready to ship him to the bullpen. This is a scorching take, honestly Cliff Lee level, because if it happens, it means a lot of things have gone very wrong. What makes Castillo still effective even with diminished velocity is his command and his consistency. I can see the argument that maybe he’ll be able to reach back for more velocity given the shorter appearances out of the bullpen, but with no real data to back that up, it’s entirely hearsay.
Moving along, your second most worrisome Mariners reliever is….
Matt Brash
An obviously popular answer, Brash hitting the IL with a bad oblique is a big blow to the Mariners cadre of high-leverage arms. This injury, plus Gabe Speier’s injury, has pushed Jose Ferrer into that role and put further pressure on Bazardo. No need to rush Brash’s returen at this point in the season, but the day Brash returns full-strength will be a good one.
And finally, the obvious winner for most worrisome Mariners reliever is…
Andrés Muñoz
Sigh. Well, yes. He is the closer and he hasn’t been bulletproof this season like he mostly was in 2024 and 2025. So, obliviously the highest leverage arm in the bullpen causes the most worry when they struggle. Much smarter staff writer Ryan Blake wrote extensively about Muñoz’s struggles and how his fastball has seemingly entered the “dead zone” for movement. I highly recommend reading it. Ryan also says Muñoz will “probably be fine” and so we can all hold him to that. Right, Ryan?
All right, who did we miss? Got a hot contrary take? Let’s hear it in the comments.
