February 1, 2023 2:18 PM : President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Brash will be competing for a relief role on Seattle's Opening Day roster during spring training, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Analysis: Brash began last season as a member of Seattle's rotation before moving to the bullpen in May after being roughed up through his first five starts. He turned in much better results as a reliever (2.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP in 30.2 innings), but Seattle was still expected to entertain the idea of letting the 24-year-old audition for a rotation spot heading into 2023. However, with Brash set to spend some time away from the Mariners' spring camp while pitching for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, Dipoto suggested that the right-hander won't be built up for starting duty and will instead continue to work out of the bullpen. If Brash doesn't gain traction in a high-leverage gig out of the big-league bullpen early in the season, the Mariners could send him to the minors and transition him back to a starting role.