Earlier this week, the Seattle Mariners made two interesting pickups, signing right-handed pitcher Dane Dunning to a minor league deal and acquiring righty Cooper Criswell in a small deal with the New York Mets.

Both pitchers have solid major league experience and can provide the M's with reliable depth should there be an injury in the starting rotation, but might these moves also tell us something else heading into spring training?

Now 26 years old, Hancock was a first-round pick of the Mariners in 2020 out of the University of Georgia. He's played a valuable role for the M's each of the last two years, serving as an injury replacement in the starting rotation. He went 4-4 in 12 starts in 2024 and then went 4-5 in 22 appearances (16 starts) in 2025. The Mariners moved him to the bullpen at the end of the season and he made the playoff roster.

Seattle has said they'll bring him to camp as a starter and then transition him to the bullpen through the spring if that's where they decide they need him, but do these other moves signal maybe they are already prefer sending him to the bullpen for 2026?

After all, if the team has Logan Evans, Dunning and Criswell as minor league depth, do they really need Hancock in that role also?

***It should be noted - Criswell is on the 40-man roster and out of minor league options, so the Mariners would have to send him through waivers in order to stash him as minor league depth. That is easier said than done. Dunning is also out of options, but since he's not on the 40-man roster, he can be kept as minor league depth, giving the Mariners at least two starting options in the minors.***

The Mariners don't have much flexibility at all in their bullpen right now, but Hancock does have an option remaining. So, if the team wants an optionable pitcher in the last spot, Hancock is the guy. Other relievers like Jackson Kowar and Casey Legumina don't have options, meaning they can't be set up and down easily. Hancock can.

Sure, and he could serve a long relief role, but without any options, he can't be sent up and down either. The team has to be sure he can last in the bullpen or will have to try to stash him in the minors as that starter depth.

The Mariners are smart to bring Hancock to camp as a starter, and if they are able to keep Criswell and Dunning in the fold, he's probably best suited to move to the bullpen, but if they can't hold onto both players, he may be stuck as depth in Tacoma once again, pairing with Evans as additional rotation options.

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