Mariners notebook: Fernando Rodney traded to the Cubs

There was a taker for Fernando Rodney, plus the bullpen gets a chance to breathe.

BY SHANNON DRAYER

Aug 27, 2015, 6:10 PM Updated: 6:29 pm

Fernando Rodney will be reunited in Chicago with Joe Maddon, who also managed him in Tampa Bay. (AP)

(AP)

The Fernando Rodney Experience will continue in Chicago. Not with the Mariners at US Cellular Field, but up north with the Cubs at Wrigley.

The Mariners announced today that they traded Rodney to the Cubs for cash considerations. The team designated Rodney for assignment last Saturday and had ten days to trade or release him; now he heads to the Cubs.

The Cubs had the need as they have had to use their pen quite a bit in August and Jason Motte was placed on the DL earlier this week. In Chicago, Rodney will be reunited with his former manager Joe Maddon, who no doubt had input in this move. Rodney put up a 0.60 ERA with 48 saves for Maddon’s Rays in 2012. In his second and final year for the Rays he had 37 saves with a 3.38 ERA.

Since Rodney’s departure from Seattle the bullpen has settled down somewhat with Tom Wilhelmsen taking on the closing duties and Carson Smith moving back to the setup role. This pair are the only two relievers remaining from the Opening Day roster and Smith is the only reliever who hasn’t spent time at Triple-A this year.

“There’s a lot of backpacks down there right now,” Wilhelmsen said in an interview on the pregame show Friday, referring to the backpacks rookies are required to wear by the bullpen veterans.

With 19 different pitchers throwing out of the Mariners pen this year it has been a revolving door of sorts, but Wilhelmsen believes the bullpen win Tuesday has helped pull them together.

“It’s been quite a roller coaster this year, for the team in general but definitely in the bullpen,” he admitted. “People no longer here, up and down, left and right, so it felt good to get that bullpen win the other day. (Edgar) Olmos his first win, on a night that Robbie (Robinson Cano) breaks records and LoMo (Logan Morrison) breaks out of a slump on his birthday, it was a good day.”

A good day he was ready to celebrate from the final out. As tough as things have been this year for the team, they still are pulling for each other. Wilhelmsen was well aware of the individual accomplishments in that team win.

“It was one of the first things on my mind,” he said referring to Cano’s record-setting 30th double for the eleventh straight year to start his career. “Right after the last out I stared into the dugout and then started yelling at everyone for doing such a good job. I’m sure (Oakland’s Josh) Reddick thought I was yelling at him but…”

And a good job by Wilhelmsen. Perhaps order at the end of games has been restored. We shall see.

Notes

• Kyle Seager gets the day off Friday. While he hit a home run in his last at-bat Wednesday afternoon, heading into that at bat he was 1 for his last 27 and hadn’t driven in a run since Aug. 17.

“Seager is getting a well-deserved day off,” McClendon said. “He didn’t know about it. And I didn’t tell him about it because I didn’t feel like fighting with him.”

Why today? McClendon is giving him a break from yet another lefty starter. He will be available to pinch hit in the game later if necessary.

Seager has played in 597 games since 2012, which is the most in MLB. Robinson Cano is second and will be tied with Seager if he doesn’t get into the game tonight with 596.

• Brad Miller is playing third tonight. While he has played a few innings there in the last two years, this is his first big league start at the position.

• TBA is still listed as the starter for the Mariners on Sunday. Mike Montgomery is available in the pen tonight if needed.