Seattle Mariners take worthwhile gamble on Kendall Graveman

After he missed most of the 2019 campaign due to injury, the Seattle Mariners are taking a worthwhile gamble on Kendall Graveman.

For the Seattle Mariners, the rebuild is in full swing. General manager Jerry Dipoto kicked off that reimagining of the roster last season when he fleeced the Mets for Jarred Kelenic, but one trade does not a rebuild make. One needs to take on reclamation projects in hopes that they will pan out, and be able to be sent elsewhere for additional prospects.

The Mariners have begun that stage of the rebuild. On Saturday, they signed Kendall Graveman to a one year deal worth $1.5 million, with a team option for 2021 valued at $3.5 million.

After four seasons with the A’s, Graveman spent last season with the Cubs organization. However, he did not pitch in the majors in 2019 as he underwent Tommy John surgery. He did recover enough to pitch two games in the minors last season, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings, striking out eight.

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During his major league career, Graveman has been a solid back of the rotation arm. In his 446 innings, he has posted a 4.38 ERA and a 1.377 WHiP, striking out 286 batters with just 130 walks. While he is never going to be a strikeout artist, Graveman has done a tremendous job of keeping the ball on the ground, limiting hard contact against him.

Given that he was able to work his way back to the mound last year, Graveman should be ready for Spring Training. With only Marco Gonzalez and Yusei Kikuchi locked into a rotation spot, Graveman would seemingly have an inside track for one of those openings.

This is the perfect type of signing for a team like the Mariners. If Graveman can get back to the form he showed from 2015 through 2017, when he was essentially a league average arm, he could be a useful trade piece at the deadline. If not, the Mariners will be on the hook for just $2 million, a pittance in the major league economic landscape.

The Seattle Mariners have added Kendall Graveman to their pitching staff. In doing so, they added the perfect lottery ticket.