Seattle Mariners: Is it time to replace Fernando Rodney?

By Jake Misener | Jun 4, 2015

Jun 2, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Fernando Rodney (56) walks back to the dugout after the final out of the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Despite earning 14 saves already this season, Seattle Mariners closer Fernando Rodney has seen more than his share of struggles early on in 2015.

More than a handful of Seattle Mariners fans may be ready to turn his signature move against him and let the arrows fly at veteran closer Fernando Rodney, who has not been the same closer who nailed down an impressive 48 saves last year for the M’s.

Despite ranking seventh in the American League with 14 saves this year, Rodney has definitely surrendered his fair share of runs in his 23 games – and is already approaching his total from all of 2014. In 66 1/3 innings pitched last season, the right-hander allowed 21 runs and three long-balls, and in just 22 1/3 frames this year, he’s already surrendered a staggering 17 earned runs and three homers.

Simply put, the ninth inning has not been a stress-free environment for Mariners fans.

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As a team, closing things out has been a major issue for Seattle, which has eight blown-saves this season, the third-worst mark in baseball. The relief corps has a cumulative earned run average of 3.75 – nearly two full runs worse than the league’s best bullpen, belonging to the Kansas City Royals.

If Seattle had converted, say, half of those eight saves, the picture in the American League West could look very different. Instead of sitting at 24-29, the M’s could be three games over .500 at 28-25, right in the thick of things in the race for one of the American League Wild Card spots.

Entering play Thursday 3 1/2 games out of the second wild card spot, Rodney will have to get his act together or manager Lloyd McClendon will have to make a move – despite his insistence one is unnecessary.

"“I think people talk very lightly about changing closers. And that’s fine, but you have to have somebody to do it. You just don’t throw anybody in the ninth inning and say, ‘Let him do it.’ Because what happens when that guy doesn’t do it? And that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”"

McClendon went on to tell the Seattle Times that even though fans are clamoring for a change after Rodney blew a save earlier this week, he doesn’t feel that the alternatives would be a step in the right direction for the ball club – a point, in my opinion, that is easily debatable.

The most attractive option has to be Carson Smith, who has dazzled both fans and his fellow pitchers alike with his impressive start to the season.

"“He’s a young man and he still doesn’t have his man muscles, so to speak. He needs to mature and continue to develop. He’s done a nice job. I think part of him doing a nice job is the fact that we put him in situations where he can be successful. When you’re a closer, you don’t have that ‘comfortability’ where we can put you in a situation where you can be successful. … You have to go in and get it done.”"

Smith, 25, is a former eighth-round pick of the Mariners, and in just his second season in the big leagues, he’s outperformed Rodney in virtually every regard. In 23 innings of work spanning 24 appearances, the right-hander has a 1.17 ERA and 2.16 FIP, to go along with an impressive 28-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Lloyd McClendon says Carson Smith isn’t ready to be the closer. The numbers suggest otherwise.

Now, McClendon said that he has to be careful with the youngster, and that he can’t handle the high-leverage situations a closer often finds himself in. The numbers certainly suggest otherwise.

In what Baseball Reference classifies as “late and close,” Smith is limiting opposing hitters to a .175/.217/.263 line in 60 plate appearances. In those match-ups, he’s got a 10.00 SO/BB ratio and has allowed a mere one home run.

Meanwhile, in similar situations, Rodney carries a 1.60 SO/BB mark to go along with a .295/.385/.500 slash-line. And those three homers he’s allowed? They’ve all come in those clutch situations, which doesn’t speak well to McClendon’s belief that his veteran closer is better suited to handle the ninth inning.

If the Seattle Mariners want to make a postseason push similar to last year’s run that reignited a tired fan base, the first step is making a change at the back-end of the bullpen.

Fernando Rodney has been impressive during his big league career, but it’s time he step aside – for the sake of the team.

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