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Mariners bullpen a big unknown entering spring training

In baseball, there's an adage that among all position groups, a bullpen is the most volatile.

In 2015, the Seattle Mariners found out that tired mottos, when true, can sink an entire season.

After posting the lowest bullpen ERA in franchise history in 2014 with a 2.59 mark, best in Major League Baseball, a bullpen comprised mostly of the same relievers in 2015 ranked 25th overall (4.15 ERA).

The problem was most apparent in the ninth inning, when closer Fernando Rodney, who set a franchise record with 48 saves in 2014, no longer could escape tight situations with any regularity.