PEORIA, Ariz. -- Mariners fans might not know much about new lefty reliever Jose A. Ferrer, other than that to acquire him, the front office parted ways with one of its more well-known and longest-tenured prospects.
But consider this: There might not be anybody in camp more thrilled about his addition than fellow southpaw Gabe Speier, who now has a much-needed reinforcement.
“Gabe handled it all so well last year,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “But to have another lefty that we can go to down there, that has the big arm, is huge.”
Ferrer’s acquisition on Dec. 6 came as a surprise, largely because of who the Mariners were sending to the Nationals in return. Harry Ford, the club’s first-round Draft pick in 2021, had long looked like a supplement to Cal Raleigh, and had resonated with fans for his vibrant personality, philanthropic efforts and showmanship in the World Baseball Classic.
Yet with Raleigh locked up through at least 2030 on a $105 million extension, and the Mariners’ notable need for another high-leverage lefty reliever -- which became apparent throughout last postseason -- the club moved quickly to net Ferrer, an arm who’d been on their radar as far back as 2019.
There were countless times last October where Wilson could’ve benefited from another southpaw, especially during a tense American League Division Series vs. Detroit. That bout went the distance primarily due to the Tigers’ ability to create massive momentum swings based on when and how Wilson would deploy Speier.
Games 1, 2, 4 and 5 all featured pivot points with Speier on the mound where the outcome was won, lost or pushed to extras, including the 15-inning marathon in the finale. By the end of that exhausting series, the Tigers had the upper hand against Speier, having seen him for 17 plate appearances.
Ferrer also has closer experience, albeit for last-place Washington last season, taking over the full-time gig after the Trade Deadline and racking up 11 saves.
“I think some of the qualities I have and some of the tools I possess, I can definitely help in those situations, especially when you get to that point,” Ferrer said through an interpreter. “I mean, it's totally different from the regular season. But, yeah, you always dream of playing in those situations.”
The Mariners faced a lefty hitter in 2,984 plate appearances last season (third-most in MLB), and held them to a 1.27 WHIP (tied-ninth) and .722 OPS (16th).
It wasn’t a massive platoon disadvantage. Yet Speier was the only left-handed arm on their entire pitching staff, other than Trade Deadline acquisition Caleb Ferguson, whose struggles became so pronounced that he only pitched in mop-up duty or dire need in October.
“We’ve seen lineups with seven guys in there that are lefties, sometimes eight guys that are left-handed hitters,” Wilson said. “So to be able to intercept that in some ways later in the game with a couple of lefties is a huge lift.”
This is where Ferrer should help, and not just because of handedness. The 26-year-old checks most boxes that the Mariners assess when scouting external talent.
• He fills up the strike zone: His 67% first-pitch strike rate was 16th among 147 qualified pitchers and would’ve ranked second among Mariners relievers behind only Speier (69.1%), who's been the posterboy for acquired arms adopting that simplistic mindset.
• He limits baserunners: His 4.9% walk rate was eighth-best among those 147, and again would’ve ranked second on the team to Speier (4.5%). League average for relievers was 13.5%.
• He keeps the ball in the ballpark: Ferrer gave up only five homers among 324 batters faced last year, and he ranked in the 35th percentile in hard-hit rate surrendered. He also induced a 62.6% ground-ball rate that was third-best among those qualified 147.
• His stuff could evolve: Ferrer primarily leaned on a sinker (61.8% usage; 97.7 mph average velocity), but the Mariners are bullish on getting more out of the changeup (47% whiff rate) and his slider (52.5% whiff rate).
“I also look at it as, this team has given me this opportunity, so I should go out there and give 200% of myself,” Ferrer said. “So I’ve always been that guy. I’m going to go out there and give the best I can.”