The Seattle Mariners entered the offseason with a fairly obvious need for left-handed relief pitching. Though they had addressed the need in previous moves, they took advantage of what they saw as a last-minute opportunity on Monday.
According to the official transactions log and a team announcement on social media, the Mariners acquired left-handed pitcher Josh Simpson in a trade with the Miami Marlins for cash considerations. Simpson, a 28-year-old who debuted in the majors for 31 games, had been designated for assignment on Thursday.
To make space for Simpson on the 40-man roster, the Mariners placed right-handed pitcher Logan Evans, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, on the 60-day injured list.
On the surface, Simpson’s rookie statistics would lead some to believe he wouldn’t have much of a chance to contribute for Seattle this season. But diving under the hood, there are some very encouraging things that suggest the lefty has major potential.
Simpson pitched to a 7.34 ERA in 30 2/3 innings, thanks in large part to his 22 walks. But he struck out 36 batters, and his sweeper generated a 40.3% whiff rate with an expected batting average of .150.
Another exciting thing for the Mariners about Simpson is that he has a minor-league option remaining, so if his command hasn’t improved enough by the end of spring training to put him in the major league bullpen, they can send him to Triple-A to keep making adjustments.
Though there’s certainly no guarantee Simpson becomes a key contributor for the Mariners this year, it was a low-risk flier for the Seattle front office, and maybe he can eventually help turn last year’s weakness into this year’s strength.
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