PEORIA, Ariz. -- As a war of attrition has eaten away at much of the Mariners' hoped-for depth in the bullpen battle this spring, one of the unexpected survivors has been Blake Parker, a 30-year-old right-hander coming back from elbow surgery last year.
The former Cubs reliever began the spring at the bottom end of a group of bounceback bullpen candidates brought in by new general manager Jerry Dipoto. But as trade acquisition Evan Scribner and Major League free-agent signee Ryan Cook were sidelined by injuries, and Justin De Fratus and Jonathan Aro didn't perform as well as hoped, Parker kept producing.