There’s one shot anyone who followed the Seattle Mariners in the 2025 season will remember. No need for replays, no need for MLB Network commentary. A four-seamer straight to the heart of the strike zone in a situation where it shouldn’t have happened—and from then on, Eduard Bazardo’s entire season often boils down to that one moment.
But if we stop there, we’re missing the real story.
Bazardo wasn’t designed to be a bullpen. He arrived in Seattle as an add-on, a little-noticed trade from the Orioles in 2023, with an even more humble beginning: an $8,000 signing from Venezuela. Then injuries and the inconsistency of a whole host of players—Gregory Santos, Collin Snider, Bryce Miller, Troy Taylor, Jackson Kowar, Casey Legumina, Trent Thornton, Carlos Vargas—pushed Bazardo to the front line.
And he didn’t shy away.
An ERA of 2.52 in a regular season sounds great, even though the FIP/DRA (3.64/4.12) suggests some “buffing” from BABIP. But for a bullpen desperate for innings, Bazardo is exactly what Seattle needs: readiness. The problem is, that readiness is being exploited to the maximum.
The numbers speak for themselves. Bazardo ranks 8th in MLB for innings on non-stop days—18.1 innings in 18 back-to-back games. Most of the top players are genuine closers. Bazardo isn’t. In fact, he’s the only one in the top 16 to have more innings than back-to-back games. Compared to Tony Santillan (a true workhorse) or Tyler Rogers (a submariner with less biological pressure), Bazardo doesn’t belong to that naturally “workhorse” group.
The regular season ends with 78.2 innings in 73 games—sixth among relievers. Then the postseason arrives. Another 11.2 innings in 9 playoff games. A total of 90.1 innings—the most in MLB 2025 for a reliever. This is no longer “being trusted.” This is being relied upon.
The 3/7 to 7/8 streak best illustrates this dangerous rhythm: 14 starts, seven back-to-back, interspersed with several long breaks thanks to the All-Star Break. It’s a use of players for immediate needs, not for long-term sustainability. And when a reliever has to both do a mop-up and carry high leverage, errors will appear—especially after a night of throwing two innings.
Returning to the opening shot: 1–2 count, leading by six runs, after a heavy night. It’s not purely a technical issue. It’s the mark of accumulated fatigue. Bazardo wasn’t fully “actualized” at that point, but he was still unnecessarily put in a difficult situation.
The paradox is: Bazardo deserved a role in 2026. He proved his mettle—from escaping extra innings with two basemen and not going out, to extending his innings by more than a one-and-a-half innings without conceding. But that’s precisely why Seattle needs to change how they protect this asset.
Not by reducing his role. By slowing down the pace.
A strong bullpen needs someone to provide bridge, someone to provide leverage. In 2025, Bazardo did both. In 2026, if the Mariners want to maintain that effectiveness, they have to do something simple yet difficult: let him rest more. Less back-to-back play. Less emergency rescue. Less highlight play… to have more seasons.
Because between a bad shot and a great season, what makes the difference isn’t talent. It’s rest.
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