Opening Day Is Almost Here: Here's Exactly Who Is Making the Mariners' Roster
Less than a week until opening day, and the Mariners are finally ready to pack up spring training and head home from the Phoenix heat. Ryan Divish has done the work, and we've got the full roster breakdown for you. Spoiler alert: there have been some changes since early March, and a couple of them caught everyone off guard.
The Starting Rotation: Hancock Steps In, Miller Gets Time to Heal
Here's the lineup: Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo, and Emerson Hancock. Yep, Hancock gets the nod for the third straight season as part of the opening day rotation, and this year he's replacing Bryce Miller, who's dealing with oblique tightness.
Miller threw just one Cactus League start before the injury popped up. The good news? He hasn't even started throwing with full intent yet, so the Mariners can afford to be patient here. Once he clears that hurdle, he's looking at at least two more bullpen sessions, then one or two live batting-practice rounds, and then finally a rehab stint. The Mariners aren't going to rush it, especially with oblique stuff having a tendency to linger if you're not careful.
Meanwhile, Hancock has been throwing absolute gas this spring. The pitching coaches have been raving about his improved velocity and the way his breaking pitches have evolved, hard gyro slider and a slower sweeper. The kid is ready.
The Bullpen: Eight Arms Ready to Roll
Your relief corps: Andres Muñoz, Matt Brash, Eduard Bazardo, Carlos Vargas, Cooper Criswell, Casey Legumina, Gabe Speier, and Jose A. Ferrer. The leverage group of Muñoz, Speier, and Brash are back. Ferrer came over in a trade with the Nationals this offseason and has had some solid moments mixed in with at least one rough outing, which is just spring training being spring training. Bazardo pitched well for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic and will pivot between the starter and the leverage guys. Criswell is your long reliever, though honestly he looked like he could be a legit starter too.
Vargas is out of options and made last year's opening day roster, then pitched well enough to stick around all season. Legumina made 48 MLB appearances last season and is also out of minor-league options, so he's in. The Mariners don't have a ton of roster flexibility if they need a fresh arm called up.
The Infield: Crawford Headed to Injured List
Josh Naylor at first, Cole Young at second, Brendan Donovan at third, Leo Rivas as an infielder, and Ryan Bliss as an infielder. J.P. Crawford is heading to the injured list after dealing with shoulder fatigue and inflammation throughout spring training. He's only gotten into seven games. He got a cortisone injection a week ago and has been in the cage working, and he's scheduled to start a throwing progression today. But without enough game reps under his belt, the Mariners want to get him some real innings in the field and at-bats before he's ready to compete.
Seattle submits the opening day roster Thursday morning. Let's see who makes the final cut.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.