The M's rotation has been the lifeblood of the roster for the last several years, but it's struggled this season, especially in the second half. So how do the M's go about fixing things?
For the last half-decade, Seattle Mariners fans, and the organization at large, have been able to rely on the team's starting pitching. It was young, it was controllable, it was on the rise, and it was the envy of every other team in baseball.
But since the All-Star break this season, the M's rotation, which also includes Luis Castillo and Kade Anderson's appearances, has been just about the worst in baseball.
For more than 40 games, we've seen Mariners starters post an ERA of 5.41 (29th), a batting average against of .271 (28th), all while seeing them throw the 27th-fewest innings of any starting staff in baseball.
Those poor numbers, and the inability to go deep into games, have put massive pressure on a struggling offense, a thin, injured and struggling bullpen, and a defense that has been among the worst in baseball this season.
So, as the Mariners get ready to turn the page to the offseason, the question becomes: How much can the team trust its rotation going forward?
1) Is this just a blip, an outlier that will rectify itself again?
2) Is this the rotation showing its signs of wear and tear, and maybe the organization should build around offense instead?
3) Should the team trade any of these starters?
4) Can these starters still pitch well, but there needs to be a change in some of the behind-the-scenes pitching people, or in some of the strategies being taught and implemented?
I acknowledge that No. 3 could happen: This team could move Logan Gilbert, George Kirby or Bryce Miller this offseason, especially with Logan Evans returning from Tommy John surgery and Ryan Sloan ascending to the big leagues, but I really think No. 4 is the most important point here.
To me, it's less about the players no longer "being good," and the players needing a new message and a new way of doing things. Now, I will not directly call for the job of pitching coach Pete Woodworth, pitching strategist Trent Blank or bullpen coach Austin Nola, but I will call for a change in the way things are done.
Seattle Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert (36) is taken out of the game by Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson (6) in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Michael McLoone-Imagn ImagesI discussed this further on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast.
"If you just watch the Mariners pitchers pitch, you can see they have qualities and things that other pitchers desire. George Kirby throws 98, 99 miles an hour. Bryan Woo throws 97 with a nasty 2-seamer. Logan Gilbert throws 99 with a nasty splitter. Emerson Hancock has the ability to ride the top of the zone. Bryce Miller, when he's right, can throw 97, 98, and Kade Anderson has the pitchability we talked about on Friday.
This group of pitchers, to me, still has the stuff to be successful. So my question is, what exactly is happening in the gameplanning and strategy conversations that I think might be hindering their success?
Again, you can change out the voices. That's not something I ever like to call for. Or you can change the strategy, and that would be the thing that I would point to. Maybe they can only change the strategy via a new voice. Maybe they will have to. But I have to believe in my heart of hearts that the Mariners pitchers still possess the ability to be really, really darn good.
And what we're seeing this year from a regression standpoint is, to me, I feel like partially avoidable if some of the other levers are getting pulled. We don't see George Kirby throw the changeup or the splitter as much as he used to. We don't see Bryan Woo, in my opinion, work enough of the sweeper and the changeup. We saw more of it on Sunday, and he was dominant over eight innings.
Eduard Bazardo still throws 97 miles an hour, but he feels like basically a 2-pitch pitcher at this point. I've got to think some pitch mix, some tinkering, some sequencing. I've got to think that that stuff has to be in play moving forward into the off-season."
What happens with the pitching coaching minds is probably partially tied to what happens with manager Dan Wilson, who is on the hot seat as the Mariners sit at 67-77 and six games back in the American League West with 18 games to play.
The Mariners will open up a three-game series with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night at 6:40 p.m. PT.
Of note
The latest edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is out, talking about the M's rotation woes, if Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo should play every day now, and if the M's really have a chance at the playoffs.
You can listen here, or you can watch in the YouTube player below.
