David Rollins has performed well this spring. (Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports)
The Seattle Mariners went to camp with one left-hander destined to be in the Opening Day bullpen, and the pool of options was so thin that manager Lloyd McClendon was toying with the idea of filling his roster with right-handed relievers to surround southpaw Charlie Furbush.
The addition of veteran lefties Rafael Perez and Joe Saunders did little to add to the position, it turned out, and 2014 staple Joe Beimel, still unsigned when camp opened, ended up signing with Texas on March 5.
And yet the Mariners might be in good shape, thanks to the emergence of 25-year-old lefty David Rollins. The Rule V draft pick from Houston’s organization has been such a pleasant surprise that he now has a legitimate shot at making the Opening Day roster.
A converted starter who has pitched only one game above the Double-A level, Rollins didn’t allow a run in his first five appearances of the spring. He struck out six without issuing a walk over 5 1/3 innings.
“There are other guys out here who I’m competing against,” Rollins told The News Tribune of Tacoma. “I’m just trying to do the best I can.”
The competition seems to be falling by the wayside. Perez has been such a disappointment that the veteran was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma over the weekend, while Saunders, a converted starter, posted a 14.54 ERA over his first four relief appearances of the spring. Veteran Lucas Luetge is back at Triple-A camp, leaving rookie Tyler Olson as the only real competition facing Rollins this spring.
It’s still conceivable that Seattle could open the season with Furbush as the only lefty in the bullpen, but that seems less and less likely with each Rollins outing. The Rule V draftee can’t be outrighted to the minors, so he seems destined for a spot on the Mariners’ 25-man Opening Day roster.
