SEATTLE — The decision this week by the Seattle Mariners to shift right-hander Edwin Diaz, generally viewed as their top pitching prospect, to a relief role stemmed from a simple evaluation.
The Mariners believe Diaz, 22, projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter but see him as a potential impact reliever who could, possibly, help the big-league club this season at some point.
“He has been dominant (for Jackson) at the Double-A level to start the season,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “We felt that as a starter, he’s mostly 90-94 (mph) with a good slider.
“What happens when we dump him into the bullpen, we have a chance to get that back-end dynamic arm. Does that supersede the ceiling that he would have as a starter?”
Diaz made the switch Tuesday night by pitching one inning for the Generals in a 3-2 victory at Birmingham (White Sox).
“He had a really clean inning,” Dipoto said. “Thirteen pitches with nine strikes and he was up to 98 miles an hour and sitting on 96. He was looking every bit of what we were hoping it would look like.
“Now we have to see if it looks like that in outing No. 2.”
Diaz was the Mariners’ third-round pick in 2012 and quickly established himself as one of the organization’s top prospects by compiling a 1.43 ERA in 13 starts in 2013 at short-season Pulaski in the Appalachian League.
A year later, he posted a 3.34 ERA in 24 starts at Lo-A Clinton and, in 2015, had a 1.70 ERA in seven starts at Hi-A Bakersfield in the hitter-friendly California League.
That quick start at Bakersfield earned him a promotion to Jackson, where he endured an inconsistent four months: 5-10 with a 4.57 ERA in 20 starts. This season, he was 2-3 and 3.10 in five starts before Tuesday’s shift to the bullpen.
“Edwin has plus fastball velocity, plus fastball life and what at times is a plus breaking ball,” Dipoto said. “The changeup has never really been easy for him. It’s not the most conventional arm action and delivery you’ll ever see.
“So the likelihood of him picking up that third pitch is maybe a little bit more remote.”
Having that third pitch is less important as a reliever.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
