Why Mariners’ Emerson Hancock can add a ‘huge value’ to bullpen

The Seattle Mariners added a new wrinkle to their roster Wednesday by bringing Emerson Hancock back up to the major leagues.

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Hancock started 15 games for the M’s earlier this season, but this time he’s back as a reliever after making two appearances out of the bullpen with Triple-A Tacoma.

The 2020 first-round pick showcased velocity that he hadn’t shown as a starter during his two bullpen outings, reaching 97.5 mph on his four-seam fastball in his first outing and 99.1 mph in his second appearance, which is the fastest pitch of his pro career.

The bullpen has been a bit of an issue for the Mariners lately. Entering Wednesday, the unit ranked 19th with a 4.61 ERA and 26th with 1.54 home runs allowed per nine innings since Aug. 1.

“I do think it’s the part that’s unsettled now,” MLB Network insider Jon Morosi said of the bullpen during a conversation this week with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “I think if you’ve got a chance to bring in that power arm (of Hancock), you do it.

“He’s going to be able to – ideally, because of his training as a starter – give you multiple innings.”

How Hancock can help bullpen

It’s become a fairly common practice for teams in playoff chases to convert starters into relievers. The Detroit Tigers did that last year with top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe, who was a first-round pick in 2021.

Jobe appeared in two games out of the bullpen in late September and pitched twice more in relief during the playoffs. Morosi, who is based in Detroit, thinks the Mariners could take a similar approach to how the Tigers handled Jobe.

“I’d like to see him in that bridge role, where probably (Mariners manager) Dan Wilson will know ahead of time, OK, this is a day when you’re likely to get in the game,” Morosi said. “Maybe give him a little more time to get ready and say, here’s a day where you’re likely to go. Maybe you like the matchup, a particular lane of the of the other team’s lineup. But I think he can clearly help.”

Morosi noted Seattle is getting an up-close view of MLB’s best bullpen currently in their series against San Diego. The Padres’ group leads the majors in ERA (3.26), and it recently got even better with the addition of flamethrower Mason Miller in a trade deadline deal with the Athletics.

“Anybody that gets you a little closer to having that (is helpful),” Morosi said. “If Hancock, because of his ability to go multiple innings, if he saves you from having to use a Matt Brash on a Monday and then Brash is available for a significant portion of Tuesday, that’s a huge value.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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