After Monday’s drama surrounding the Seattle Mariners piggyback plan with Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller, the team said they discussed the idea moving forward with the pitchers. Prior to Tuesday’s game against the Athletics, Seattle Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto made a statement to the media.
Dipoto said, “While still not an ideal solution, I am confident that we were able to more clearly communicate the current situation and plan moving forward.”
The discussion was necessary after both Castillo and Miller showed their frustrations with the current state of their roles. The Mariners say that they plan on using the piggyback one more time. Miller will start Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Castillo coming out of the bullpen.
Seattle Mariners Manager Dan Wilson said, “Certainly, communicating it and everybody understanding is paramount, for sure.”
Seattle Mariners Piggyback Plan Continues But a Six Man Rotation Could Come Soon
GettyBryce Miller said the piggyback situation with the Mariners was not a comfortable one.
On the onset of Miller’s return to the rotation, Dipoto noted that he felt moving Castillo into a fulltime bullpen role was unwise. He wants to keep Castillo’s pitch count high. On the other hand, a six man rotation keeps you a bullpen arm short. Now that the Mariners bullpen is healthy though, a six man rotation seems much more tenable for the time being after the third piggyback performance this coming Sunday.
The Mariners want to keep all six of their starters especially if there are upcoming injuries in the rotation. Castillo, to his credit, has looked like he begins to turn a corner this season. After a rough start to the year, Castillo comes off a productive start against the Houston Astros and the Athletics. Not to mention, he was effective out of the bullpen until the top of the ninth against the Chicago White Sox.
Castillo owns a 2.84 ERA with 10 strike outs in 6.1 innings through the Mariners piggyback plan so far. Miller has a 1.69 ERA with 11 strike out in 10.2 innings.
Castillo and Miller Made Sacrifices for the Team; Even if They Did Not Support Them
GettyWhile the drama surrounding the piggyback has been unpleasant, the team could be better off in the long run.
In addition to his previous comments, Wilson lauded both Castillo’s and Miller’s willingness to sacrifice for the team. The piggyback clearly has not been an ideal situation for them, but they continue to play well for the Mariners.
Wilson said, ““I thought both those guys threw the ball incredibly well. Their willingness to do it, just for the team, and the way that they’re going out there is tremendous.”
After the meetings with both pitchers, a better understanding exists of what will occur moving forward within the clubhouse. Keeping the Mariners culture intact seemed vital after Monday’s game and the comments that followed. Many thought that would be the end of the piggyback plan but the Mariners seem to believe it is still the way to move forward.
Seattle Mariners Piggyback Plan to Continue… For Now