The Mariners didn’t spend much money on improving a bad 2019 bullpen, leaving the traditional roles in the bullpen up in the air. Obviously, the role most fans know and care the most about is the “closer”. But Seattle has decided that they won’t operate with a single closer in 2020. Instead, they’ll use the committee approach.
In what is become more frequent, teams have eschewed the traditional closer for a more optimal bullpen strategy. No longer is the 9th inning a sacred entity that only the seasoned, grizzled veterans could dare tackle. Instead, the 9th inning is being treated more and more like the 6th or 7th inning.