The Mariners announced a series of roster moves today, selecting the contract of left-hander Kirby Snead and reinstated right-hander Eduard Bazardo from the injured list. In corresponding moves, left-hander Tayler Saucedo was placed on the 15-day IL due to right knee hyperextension and right-hander Emerson Hancock was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma. To open a 40-man spot for Snead, righty Matt Brash was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Snead, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in the winter. He reported to Triple-A and has made 12 appearances at that level so far this year with a 2.92 earned run average. That’s supported by a 27.7% strikeout rate, 4.3% walk rate and a huge 63.3% ground ball rate.
The southpaw has had some encouraging results in the minors before, but has struggled in the majors. He currently has a career ERA of 5.20 in the big leagues, tossing 64 innings over the previous three seasons between the Blue Jays and Athletics. He was outrighted by Oakland in October, which led to his deal with the Mariners.
With Saucedo going on the IL, Snead will step in as the club’s second lefty reliever alongside Gabe Speier. Snead is out of options and can’t be easily sent back down to the minors down the line. However, he has less than two years of service time and could therefore be cheaply retained into the future if he holds onto his roster spot all year.
Hancock, 25 this month, came into the year as the club’s sixth starter behind Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. But Woo began the year on the injured list due to right medial elbow inflammation, which opened a rotation spot for Hancock.
Through seven starts, Hancock has a 5.24 ERA with a tepid 15.4% strikeout rate. Woo has been on a rehab assignment of late, having already made three starts with the most recent one being a five-inning outing on Saturday. Hancock’s option appears to pave the way for Woo to be reinstated at some point in the near future.
As for Brash, he’s been on the 15-day IL all year due to right elbow inflammation. This transfer is backdated to his initial IL placement, meaning he can’t be reinstated until late May. That doesn’t seem to be a possibility anyway, as he was shut down at the end of April and there haven’t been any substantive updates on his condition since then.
Kirby Thneed.
Formerly Kirby Chuck.
Saucedo has a torn meniscus, he’ll be out a while. Sucks for our BP, he was a solid piece and a local kid who loves playing for the M’s. Hope he makes a full recovery.
According to Servais it doesnt appear to be serious. So if that’s true I doubt its a torn menicus.
Can the mariners please have more bullpen injuries? I love how our #2 and #3 guys are out for the foreseeable future, can we lose our closer next?
Good thing for you that the Mariners pump out solid relief arms every year
Saucedo was one of those people off the scrap heap and the m’s are arguably the best at transforming relievers
But I don’t like how people like Tyson miller and Cody Bolton are making appearances in the 8th inning
Guzundheit
Little bit scary to have 4 starters on the active roster right now they better call woo up soon
That was likely the plan. i think they were always going to option Hancock for Woo before Hancock’s next scheduled start.
I was somewhat surprised Hancock was optioned, but when I realized he had gone 3.2 and 4 innings in his last two starts, it made a lot more sense. This way they can carry an extra reliever for a 3-4 days, which is a good thing, because they turned to the BP early yesterday due to Hancock’s short outing..
And we might still see Hancock used for a spot start as the Mariners are in a tough stretch where they only have one day off from 3 May to 2 June.
Snead might stick around for a while. He’s out of options.. I’d guess that Bazardo is more likely to be optioned when Woo is activated.
With Kirby Snead and George Kirby, they are Kirby Yates away from completing the Kirby trifecta.
Fun(ish) fact, Snead is the 1,000th Mariner. Knowing that could win you a trivia someday.
There’s no consistency with this game further complicated by no consistency with players. ‘The pitching having to be continuingly reshuffled, and the hitting, is there ever enough of it? Score 11-1