The Seattle Mariners acquired hard-throwing left-hander Jose Ferrer from the Washington Nationals on Saturday afternoon, solidifying one more spot in the bullpen heading into 2026.

Ferrer will help deepen the bullpen unit, and will take pressure off Gabe Speier, who spent much of 2025 as the only lefty in Dan Wilson's 'pen.

As noted by ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney on social media:

Jose Ferrer vs. left-handed batters in 2025:

110 plate appearances

2 walks

26 strikeouts

.186/.217/.304

Some of the AL West hitters he'll get to know: Yordan Alvarez, Nick Kurtz, Lawrence Butler, Corey Seager, Brandon Nimmo, Nolan Schanuel.

With Ferrer's inclusion in the bullpen, here's what we know

--The Mariners will operate with an eight-man bullpen, and six of the spots appear to be accounted for, as long as everyone is healthy.

--Andres Munoz (26): A two-time All-Star, Munoz went 3-3 this past season with a 1.73 ERA. He struck out 83 batters in 62.1 innings. He will reprise his role as the closer.

--Matt Brash (27): Armed with some of the best stuff in any bullpen, Brash was 1-3 with a 2.47 ERA. He struck out 58 batters in 47.1 innings in his first season back from Tommy John.

--Gabe Speier (30): He elevated himself into one of the best lefties in baseball in 2025, going 4-3 with a 2.61 ERA. He struck out 82 batters in 62.0 innings. He made 83 total appearances between the regular season and playoffs.

--Eduard Bazardo (30): A product of the M's pitching lab, he was excellent in 2025 also, going 5-0 with a 2.52 ERA. He struck out 82 batters in 78.2 innings, making 73 appearances.

--Carlos Vargas (26): Somewhat of an enigma, Vargas filled multiple roles for Seattle. Ultimately, he made 70 appearances, going 5-5 with a 3.97 ERA. He had some leverage opportunities but also pitched in numerous out-of-hand contests. He only struck out 54 batters in 77.0 innings.

--And then there's Ferrer, who is 25. He struck out 71 batters in 76.1 innings and had 11 saves for Washington.

There are two additional spots open. The Mariners have reportedly been looking for two relievers this offseason, meaning they need one more to hit that goal (Ferrer is the other).

Who could the other bullpen spots go to?

Well, Jackson Kowar made 15 appearances this past season, going 2-0 with a 4.24 ERA. He is out of options, so he'd likely get a shot to win a job. Casey Legumina made 48 appearances, and he's also out of options.

Beyond that, Troy Taylor, who got significant run at the end of 2024, is an option, as is the newly-acquired Alex Hoppe, who just joined us on the Refuse to Lose podcast. Cole Wilcox, Robinson Ortiz, Domingo Gonzalez, Emerson Hancock and Ryan Loutos are also options on the 40-man roster.

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