Nathan Karns Staking Claim On Seattle Mariners’ Fifth Rotation Spot

Nathan Karns and James Paxton continue to lock horns for the last spot in the Seattle Mariners‘ rotation. Scott Servais, the new manager of the Mariners, made clear earlier in the week that the next start for Karns and Paxton would be a rather important one in deciding who would be that fifth starter. Karns clearly got the message.

Karns made the 2015 AL West champ Texas Rangers look like a team on the bottom of the AL West totem pole on Friday, holding them to one run and three hits in 4.2 innings. After having problems keeping the ball down in the strike zone in the first inning, he corrected himself and looked dominant the rest of the way. He continued to impress with his curveball as well, giving him a nice repertoire of pitches.

Paxton did not have the same luck in a St. Patrick’s Day start. He had by far his worst outing of spring training, giving up seven runs and six hits in only two innings of work. He was pulled in the third when he allowed four straight base runners. His command was way off, accounting for his four walks. It was by no means the start Paxton needed to prove he was past his injury issues and should be considered a vital part of the rotation.

Karns’ and Paxton’s most recent starts seem to finally put an end to the debate of who should get the fifth spot in the Mariners’ rotation, but with the injuries in the bullpen, it does make one wonder if Paxton could serve as a major piece as a reliever. The Mariners’ choices for a left-hander in the bullpen are slim after Charlie Furbush, who is dealing with an injury at the moment, allowing Paxton to have the possibility of entering the 2016 with the big club.

It seems the current Mariners regime was leaning toward Karns to begin with. It makes sense considering he was the player Jerry Dipoto traded for, while Paxton was part of the team he inherited. While Servais has not come out and said that Karns is the fifth starter, it would be the smart move at this point to try and get everyone prepared for their job to start the season. I imagine in the next few days, before Karns’ or Paxton’s next start, we will hear the news of Karns as the team’s fifth starter.