NFL Tickets
The Seattle Mariners made a few decisions on Sunday, essentially clearing the picture up when it comes to the 25-man roster. Dae-ho Lee was added to the 40-man roster, while news has been surfacing that Jesus Montero emptied his locker on Saturday and is back home. There has been no formal announcement (one is expected on Monday), but this seems to indicate that Montero is currently on waivers and Lee has earned the backup first base job.
The other decision made on Sunday regards the bullpen. Joel Peralta, a 40-year-old right-handed veteran, was informed that he would be added to the 40-man roster by Tuesday and that he had made the MLB club. Peralta has not been placed on the 40-man roster yet, but with the Mariners’ 40-man roster full at the moment, the thought is the Mariners are waiting for Montero to clear waivers.
Peralta had an option to opt out of his minor league contract with the Mariners on Tuesday, so it was necessary for the Mariners to make a decision quickly regarding him. Peralta’s stats do not look great for this spring (7.88 ERA, 8 strikeouts in 8 innings), but he has made batters look silly at times. His fastball still ranges in the 90-92 mph range and his off-speed pitches seem to drop out of nowhere.
Peralta has had a decent career up to this point, posting a career 3.94 ERA in 11 major league seasons. He has averaged close to a strikeout an inning, with 579 strikeouts in 620.2 innings. He was limited to only 29 innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015 because of nerve problems in his right triceps.
Having another veteran in the fold, especially in the bullpen, should do nothing but improve the atmosphere in the clubhouse. Peralta has been something of a workhorse in his career as well, leading the league in 2013 with 80 appearances. He also is a bit of an anomaly, pitching better against lefties rather than righties, even though he is a right-handed pitcher.
Without injuries to Evan Scribner, Ryan Cook and Charlie Furbush, Peralta would most likely not have made the 25-man roster, but at this point the Mariners will take what they can get. There is even still a spot remaining in the bullpen, with Joaquin Benoit, Steve Cishek, Tony Zych and Peralta slotted for four of the five right-handers in the bullpen and Vidal Nuno and Mike Montgomery penciled in as the lefties.
There are some rookie pitchers in camp that are performing well above average, such as Donn Roach, but there are also rumblings that the Mariners could be looking to add an arm to the bullpen, whether through trade or waivers. For the time being, Peralta looks to add some depth that was badly needed, while also giving the clubhouse another veteran to lean on in times of need. With three key injuries to the bullpen already, there is not much more you could ask for.
Share 
