Mariners must feel pangs of regret every time Jhoan Duran dominates for Phillies

That the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen has the third-best ERA within the league is a small consolation. Because in actuality, it is exhausting not to feel the absences of Matt Brash and Gabe Speier, simply because it’s exhausting not to understand the specter of Jhoan Duran.

Lest anybody neglect, he might have been a Mariner. Heck, perhaps he ought to have been a Mariner. The membership was on him main as much as the 2025 commerce deadline, and a cope with the Minnesota Twins was near the end line at one level. FanSided’s personal Robert Murray was on it:

That the 28-year-old flamethrower went to the Philadelphia Phillies as a substitute won’t level to any failing by Jerry Dipoto or anybody in Seattle’s entrance workplace. Even so, the whiff on Duran became a tragic story as quickly as that ball left George Springer’s bat in final yr’s ALCS. And up to now in 2026, the haunting is ongoing.

Acquiring Jhoan Duran might have saved the Mariners from their present bullpen mess

Even at a time when every reliever throws gasoline, Duran nonetheless stands out with fastball speeds which have gone as excessive as 105 mph. He has a profession 2.41 ERA over 257 appearances, and it is solely been creeping decrease because the Phillies obtained him final summer time. He has a 2.01 ERA in 34 appearances for them.

Meanwhile in Seattle, the Mariners were missing Carlos Vargas even earlier than Brash and Speier landed on the injured listing. Eduard Bazardo remains to be terrific and Andrés Muñoz has been coming round, however such short-handedness by no means fails to disclose itself.

Take Wednesday, for instance. The Mariners lost 4-3 in extra inningshowever the turning level was a sixth inning by which a 2-0 lead went “poof.” Bryce Miller was requested to return out despite the fact that he had come near his pitch restrict by way of 5 innings, and he discovered hassle immediately with a leadoff homer by Christian Walker. Then, the man who got here in with two on and one out was Cooper Criswell.

Criswell has been a pleasant surprisehowever he isn’t a man you need on the mound in any stress spot, a lot much less one by which Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez are looming. So when he solely gave up a bases-loaded stroll to Altuve, it felt like a aid.

Even if Brash, Speier and Vargas had been nonetheless injured, you’ll be able to think about how issues might have gone otherwise if Dan Wilson had each Muñoz and Duran in reserve. That hassle spot might have been one for Bazardo, with Criswell staying again for calmer waters as the sport inched towards the shutdown guys on the finish of the bullpen.

It all factors again to the query of how the Mariners did not land Duran. And for all we all know, the reply is not outrageous. Just as a result of the Twins accepted a suggestion of Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait from the Phillies would not essentially imply Seattle’s supply was inferior. It might be that the Twins merely needed these two guys extra.

All the identical, you surprise if Dipoto and firm want they may have a do-over on this one. For all of the wonderful work they’ve executed lately, not getting Duran will not cease being a painful sliding-doors second any time quickly.