The M's are calling up the top pitching prospect in the game, but what is the fallout from it all?
On Thursday night, Seattle Mariners fans got some very exciting news in a generally disappointing season: The team is set to call up baseball's top pitching prospect, Kade Anderson, to make his major league debut on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
It won't be an easy task, as the Cubs are the best slugging team in baseball against left-handed pitching, but it will be an exciting day for both the fans and the organization.
I saw Anderson pitch in person during spring training in Peoria, Ariz., and he hasn't stopped impressing ever since: Anderson is 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA at Double-A Arkansas, striking out 135 batters in just 93.1 innings. He has just 13 walks in those 93.1 innings, exhibiting supreme control in addition to a solid general pitch mix.
While it's exciting to see Anderson get called up, we are still waiting on the other shoe to drop, so here are the possible options.
Is Bryan Woo hurt?
Woo threw six innings of two-run ball on Sunday night against the Houston Astros, but he was removed at just 75 pitches, presumably because of the right shoulder discomfort that he described afterwards.
Now, I said I wasn't worried about it, and Buster Olney of ESPN agreed, but there is at least a chance that Woo's shoulder is worse than he said.
Woo had been lined up to pitch Saturday, so is Anderson taking his place?
What's up with Bryce Miller?
The right-hander was excellent when coming off the injured list in May, flashing velocity into the upper-90s. However, his velocity has dipped back into the 94-96 range, and he's been hit hard of late, posting an ERA of 5.52 over his last eight starts.
It's fair to wonder if Miller is bothered by something, and it's fair to wonder if the team wants to push him and Woo back a day to get them fresher, and it's fair to wonder if the team could take the extreme step of putting Miller in the bullpen to accommodate Anderson.
Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller (50) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Michael McLoone-Imagn ImagesWelcome back, six-man rotation?
The Mariners famously deployed the six-man rotation for long stretches of this season, and it seems possible they could go back to it again.
With only 10 days left in August, the Mariners could likely handle a six-man rotation and a thinner bullpen, especially with an off day coming on Thursday. If they can make it to Sept. 1, then they can bring up an additional arm when the rosters expand to fill the bullpen more.
Of note
The most recent edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is out, talking about Kade Anderson's call-up and featuring a conversation with Mariners infielder Ryan Bliss. You can listen here, or you can watch in the YouTube player below.
