So with Erasmo Ramirez expected to begin the year in the minors, rookie Brandon Maurer takes his place as my young Mariners right-hander to target late. Manager Eric Wedge all but awarded Maurer the fifth spot in the rotation after he threw five shutout innings against the Reds Monday.
"Maurer threw the ball very well against a good group of hitters," Wedge said of Maurer escaping a bases-loaded jam. "Pitching out of that situation isn't something we haven't seen. It reaffirms what we've seen. [He's awesome.]"
OK, so I added that last part, but that's the gist of what Wedge was saying. Maurer's ascension may not yet be official, but that doesn't mean it's not official.
I'm not yet to the point where I'm drafting Maurer in standard mixed leagues. Unlike Ramirez, who impressed in stints last season, he has yet to do anything in the majors. But if he was able to beat Ramirez and Danny Hultzen and James Paxton, all while earning the unspoken admiration of his manager, he bears watching.