Ryan

Sloan

There’s a lot to unpack here. According to Mariners general manager Justin Hollander, it was a unanimous decision by all six starters — Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock, Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo — to move to a schedule where each pitcher will rotate through and have piggyback days. Ironically, the arrangement will begin with Castillo piggybacking out of the bullpen with Miller during Friday’s series opener against the Red Sox. The decision will have a significant fantasy impact simply by reducing the overall volume for each starter over the next few weeks. The unorthodox arrangement feels like a temporary stopgap solution until the arrival of top prospects Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan later this summer ultimately forces Seattle to move on from at least one of their veteran arms.

The Mariners not only have six starters working right now deserving of rotation nods, but also arguably the best left-handed and right-handed pitching prospects in baseball in Anderson and Sloan. Anderson has been particularly impressive with a 1.13 ERA and 82/6 K/BB ERA in Double-A, but Sloan is a 20-year-old with three pitches that can miss bats and has flashed brilliance in the same league. Jude does note that both have a chance to pitch for Seattle later this summer, but for now, Double-A hitters are going to have a bad time when they face Arkansas.