MLB rumors: Grading the Ryne Stanek signing for the Mariners

On Friday, the Seattle Mariners made a key move to strengthen their bullpen, signing right-hander Ryne Stanek to a one-year contract.

The terms of the deal have not yet been revealed.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com was the first to provide the news.

The 32-year-old was initially drafted by the Mariners in 2010 before opting to attend to the University of Arkansas. The Tampa Bay Rays selected him in the first round of the 2013 draft.

Last season, the veteran right-hander struggled to the tune of a 4.09 ERA over 55 appearances with the Houston Astros. However, he has good career numbers, including a lifetime ERA of 3.45. In 2022, he posted a 1.15 ERA over 59 appearances.

Grading Seattle's bullpen addition

This is a good move for the Mariners.

They are already loaded with plenty of pitching, but Stanek gives them another high-leverage option in their bullpen, one that also consists of Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, Gregory Santos, Gabe Speier, Tayler Saucedo, Carlos Vargas, and Austin Voth.

This bullpen was already very strong, but with a veteran like Stanek now in the mix, the Mariners have a strong chance to compete for the top spot in the AL West with the Astros and Texas Rangers.

Stanek averaged 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings and 2022 and 9.1 per nine last season, so he brings swing-and-miss to a stacked bullpen.

The one area of concern is the number of walks averaged per nine innings. Last year, he averaged 3.7 free passes per nine, but that was a step in the right direction after averaging 5.1 free passes per nine in 2022.

Still, this is a very solid move for the Mariners. They'll be hoping for a bounce-back season from the veteran right-hander to get the most out of their bullpen, and if he provides that, Seattle should be in good shape in 2024.

Grade: B+