The Seattle Mariners finally put their foot down and said “enough”. After Saturday’s ten inning loss to the Chicago White Sox, Seattle DFAed closer Fernando Rodney six weeks before the end of his two-year, $14 million deal signed prior to the 2014 season.
The #Mariners have DFA'd RHP Fernando Rodney and optioned RHP Danny Farquhar to AAA Tacoma.
— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) August 23, 2015
Rodney was great last year for the Mariners, striking out 76 and walking 28 over 66 1/3 innings, pitching to a 2.85 ERA while saving 48 games and blowing just three. This season, it’s been a different story – the 38-year old has a 5.68 ERA through 50 2/3 innings, striking out 43, walking 25, saving 16 games, and blowing six. At the end of May, Rodney lost his closer’s job to rookie Carson Smith, who has a 3.16 ERA through 51 1/3 innings.
But Smith has been shaky lately, blowing three saves in August while pitching to a 6.60 ERA and walking 12 hitters in 15 innings. On Saturday, Smith allowed two runs in the ninth to notch the blown save. Rodney came in for the eighth inning on Friday with Seattle trailing 4-3, allowed a single, a double, and a walk while getting one out, and had three runs charged to him after Rob Rasmussen dumped gasoline on the fire Rodney started.
Rodney’s implosion in 2015 is yet another thing that’s gone wrong for the Mariners this year. No production from half the offense, no production from the bullpen outside of Smith, the now-traded Mark Lowe, and the injured Charlie Furbush, and here we are – a preseason favorite is 11 games under .500 and 11.5 games back in the AL West.
