It’s crunch time for the Mariners in firming up their bullpen for the regular season after a series of roster-thinning moves over the weekend that saw five pitchers shuttled to minor-league camp.
The big move was Saturday’s decision to option lefty Ariel Miranda to Triple-A Tacoma in order to keep him stretched out as a starter.
Miranda, 28, had projected as the leading candidate to serve as the relief corps’ second lefty, alongside matchup specialist Marc Rzepczynski, if the Mariners made it through March without any injuries to their established five-man rotation.
"We like him as starter," manager Scott Servais said.