The Other Missing Piece

We all know the M’s are looking for another starting pitcher. I believe they should not limit their search to just starting pitching.

I believe a good bullpen has 5 essential parts/roles.

1. A dominant closer- Putz has this under control.

2 & 3. Middle Relievers- They need to be able to work the 6th and 7th innings. It is ideal if there is one lefty and one righty. S. Green and E. O’Flaherty have this role nailed. I don’t know if there is a better pair in the league at this role.

4. A lefty specialist-They need to be able to pitch the 8th inning or just get the tough lefties out. George Sherrill is the best in the league at this.

5. A right-handed set up man- They need to pitch the 8th inning most of the time. They need to get the leagues best righties out. This is where the Mariners lack. They planned on Reitsma filling this role however he has been inconsistent and injury prone. At the beginning of the year Morrow excelled in this role however he has struggled over the last month with an era over 7.00.

The three other teams that will most likely make the playoffs are the Red Sox, Angels and Tigers. Each team has a dominant right-handed hitter in Ramirez, Vlad, and Sheffield. I would not trust Morrow or Reitsma to get any of them out in a tense playoff situation.

The good news is that there are many good right-handed relievers on the market. Names that are believed to be available are Lidge (Astros), Cordero (Nationals), Gagne (Rangers), Dotel (Royals) and Reyes (Tampa Bay). I have not heard the Mariners names linked to any of these players yet, but I would not be surprised if one of these five is a Mariner by the deadline.