Major League Baseball suspended Gabe Speier for three games after determining that he intentionally threw at Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres . Speier also received an undisclosed fine, while Dan Wilson was handed a one-game suspension that he must serve immediately because managers cannot appeal suspensions. Manny Acta will be the acting manager for their series finale. Speier will remain available until the appeal process is resolved.
That buys the Mariners time, but it doesn't solve their problem. When Speier eventually serves the suspension, assuming it's not reduced, The Mariners will be forced to play three games with a 25-man roster. The Mariners cannot replace him with a fresh arm from Tacoma. He will occupy a roster spot without being allowed to pitch, leaving the bullpen an arm short.
This is a self-inflicted problem. We understand why Speier did it. Cal Raleigh was hit by a pitch, emotions were running hot and Speier took the liberty to answer back. That may earn him points inside the clubhouse. It may satisfy guys like Jay Buhner who believe pitchers must police the game themselves.
But it also leaves the Mariners without one of their most important relievers for three games.
This wasn't a mop-up arm going into business for himself. He's a trusted option in high-leverage moments. Removing him disrupts the entire late-game chain.
Jos A. Ferrer and Josh Simpson are the other active left-handed relievers. That makes Ferrer the obvious choice to inherit Speier's matchup work, but it could also force Simpson into a high leverage moment.
That also pushes more work toward Eduard Bazardo , who we saw give up a home run to Dillon Dingler after Speier was ejected. The home run ball has been a massive problem as of late for Bazardo. It's not great for a team trying to climb back to the top of the AL West to be forced to lean on a reliever who hasn't reigned that problem in yet.
The Mariners can survive it if their starting pitchers work deep, the offense creates breathing room and the bullpen avoids an exhausting extra-inning game. But these are the Mariners, we rarely see their games cooperate like that. One starter getting knocked out early could leave the M's scrambling.
The Mariners do have enough bullpen talent to navigate three games without Speier. But that doesn't make his absence harmless at all. We can appreciate a player defending Raleigh without pretending the cost is imaginary. Throwing at Torres didn't erase Raleigh's hit-by-pitch. It didn't add a run to Seattle's lead or record an out. In fact, it did the opposite. It allowed the Tigers to get back into the game. On top of that, it will probably guarantee that the Mariners will eventually spend three games trying to cover Speier's innings without being allowed to replace him.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/mariners/onsi as Gabe Speier and Dan Wilson Suspensions Leave the Mariners Paying the Price for Tigers Incident .
