President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Tuesday that Anderson will serve as a starter for the Mariners once he's eventually called up from Double-A Arkansas later this season, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports. "We're not going to put Kade in the bullpen," Dipoto said. "He's the best starting pitcher in the minor leagues."
Anderson has done his part to back up Dipoto's bold claim, as he's overwhelmed Texas League hitters to the tune of a 1.20 ERA, 0.66 WHIP and 119:12 K:BB in 82.1 innings through his first 16 starts in the pro ranks. Though Anderson moved up to sixth on the organizational starting pitching depth chart after Luis Castillo was traded to the White Sox over the weekend, the Mariners aren't yet ready to expand their five-man rotation to accommodate the 22-year-old lefty. Anderson is scheduled to meet with the Mariners' brass Wednesday to map out a plan for his call-up to Seattle in the coming weeks, but in the short term, he looks set to continue building innings at Double-A. The Mariners' commitment to eventually onboard Anderson as a starter down the stretch would at least enhance his fantasy utility, as his usage and opportunities to earn wins would be more predictable as a starter than if he were deployed as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen.