The Mariners and right-hander Christian Bergman have agreed to a minor league pact, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). The All Bases Covered Sports Management client will be returning to the Seattle organization for a second season and will head to Major League Spring Training.
Bergman, 30 in May, appeared in 13 games for Seattle last season — eight starts and five relief appearances — working to a total of 54 innings. In that time, the former Rockies hurler posted an even 5.00 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 2.0 HR/9 and a 37.7 percent ground-ball rate. Though he’s never experienced much in the way of prolonged success in the Majors (5.58 ERA in 201 2/3 frames between the Rockies and Mariners), Bergman has demonstrated solid K/BB numbers in the minors. In 235 innings at the Triple-A level, Bergman owns a 4.40 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9.
[Related: Updated Seattle Mariners depth chart]
The Mariners have been tied to numerous rotation options this offseason and still have somewhat of an unsettled mix at present. James Paxton, Felix Hernandez and Mike Leake are locks to take the ball every fifth day, health permitting. Righty Erasmo Ramirez likely has an inside track on a rotation spot as well after pitching well in his second stint with Seattle following a trade from the Rays last summer.
The 40-man roster features numerous candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation, including lefties Marco Gonzales, Ariel Miranda and Sam Moll as well as right-handers Andrew Moore, Max Povse, Chase De Jong and Robert Whalen. Hisashi Iwakuma headlines Seattle’s collection of non-roster invitees, which also includes Bergman and fellow re-signed righty Casey Lawrence.
The news we have all been waiting for.
I am so bored…baseball, wake up, do something interesting.
I am a Mariners fan and I don’t see them in the playoffs again this season. That is not a winning rotation. 100% fitness will be the key. Good luck with that.
At this point in time, the Ketel Marte and Taijuan Walker trade might come back to haunt them. Segura and Haniger are awesome, Don’t get me wrong. But we need the upside of Walker right about now.
Arizona is still waiting for walkers upside too.
Umm, I think he was pretty decent last year, but I guess that you missed it.
The same Taijuan Walker that got hooked after giving up 4 runs on 38 pitches in just one inning in the playoffs? Frustrating pitcher, one week looked a world beater the next like a young AAA pitcher lost in the lights of the big leagues
A description that could be made for just about every high-potential young player.
The vast majority of great players were “frustrating” in their first couple seasons for many (excessively impatient) fans. More often than not, “frustrating” players iron themselves out and gain their consistency — after the standard injury filter (a far more relevant concern), at least. The number of Mike Trouts in MLB history is 1, after all. All other great players in history needed time before being great.
I’m a big Mariner fan, and I’d still make that trade all day long.
i think mariners would do that again in a heartbeat
It was sad to see Prince Walker go, but I am happy with the trade. More so now with Dee at the top of the order.
Still… There is a huge need for a starter in the rotation to even attempt a playoff run. Seems like The M’s are getting buried in their own division without any sense of NOW or the FUTURE.
I assumed Ariel Miranda was going to be in the Mariners rotation, that was until I closer look at his 2017 line. Oi vay! 37 HR’s in 160 innings is quite a shocking number.
Roster Resource projects that Ariel Miranda, who easily led the Mariners in starts last year with 29, will start the season at Triple A Tacoma:
rosterresource.com/mlb-seattle-mariners/
The 29-year-old lefthander has two options remaining.
Twix has too much coconut.
No coconut for me, get me a mounds bar.
Mounds has coconut just no almonds and are disgusting.
World Series.
Unfortunately there is no sarcasm font…
Can you feel the heat of the stove?