Mariners select Chris Clarke in Rule 5 Draft
Mariners select Chris Clarke in Rule 5 Draft
On a relatively uneventful Wednesday afternoon the Mariners selected Chris Clarke from the Chicago Cubs. Clarke will have the chance to make the big league roster, so what does Seattle have in him?
It is relatively easy to see what the Mariners like about Chris Clarke. The first thing that stands out about Chris Clarke is his size. Clarke is 6-7 and 220 pounds and finished last season as a starter in AA for the Cubs organization.
Clarke is a big body, and the Cubs spent a high draft pick on him back in 2019. The former fourth-rounder attended USC and pitched mostly out of the bullpen, but the Cubs saw him as a starter in professional baseball.
After a slow start to his career due to injury, Clarke started to put everything together last season. Pitching as a starter he reached AA, throwing 96.2 innings for Tennessee last season. The big right-hander struck out 87 batters in AA while walking just 20.
Clarke has a fastball that touches the upper 90s, with a curveball and a slider that grade out decently. His fastball was a sinker that he used to generate a ton of ground because of the angle it was coming at the batter. If Seattle wanted to adjust that to a four-seamer coming out of the bullpen, Clarke could theoretically start throwing it much harder.
He was not a strikeout pitcher, instead opting to deliver ground balls at a 58% rate last season. This profile could be altered with the addition of a four-seamer, but any pitcher who could get groundballs should be of interest to Seattle with their infield defense.
Clark also has a slider that grades out at average, but he throws it for strikes. His best secondary offering is a big curveball which is likely the pitch Seattle likes here. If he can use a nice mix of sinker, four-seamer, and curveball the Mariners may have something here.
The best part about Clarke is that he walks virtually nobody. He walked just 20 batters in AA last year and carries a walk rate under 2.0 for his 130 innings last season. He had a 4.93 ERA but had a FIP in the mid-3s last season, this profile combined with an uptick in stuff makes him a nice relief option.
If things don’t work out there is no real loss for the Mariners. Rule 5 picks are assigned directly to the 26-man roster of the acquiring team, and must be passed through waivers if removed. If placed on waivers they are offered back to their previous team for 50,000 dollars, and if this is declined the player may be assigned to the minors.
Clarke could be a legitimate addition to this bullpen next season if Seattle’s pitching development can tweak a few things. He has not pitched above Double-A yet, but Clarke can impact Seattle next season.