Seattle Mariners Rumors: 2015 Starting Rotation Set With Roenis Elias Demotion?


Seattle Mariners rumors about the 2015 starting rotation might have just been addressed. The Mariners demoted starting pitcher Roenis Elias to Triple-A Tacoma, likely removing him from contention to be in the rotation for Opening Day. As MLB.com reported, he was one of nine players that the team decided to cut from the Spring Training roster. This took the Mariners a step closer to officially announcing the starting rotation as well as the 25-man roster. Greg Johns noted the other players that didn’t make the cut.

“The other eight were non-roster invitees who have been reassigned to Minor League camp: pitchers Mark Lowe, Jordan Pries, Kevin Correia and Joe Saunders; infielders Shawn O’Malley and Carlos Rivero; catcher John Baker; and outfielder Endy Chavez.”

There are going to be additional Seattle Mariners rumors about this group of players, including which ones might get offered the chance to start the season in Tacoma. Several of them could turn down that offer and immediately become free agents with the ability to sign with another franchise. As for Roenis Elias, he seems to be the odd man out when it comes to the starting rotation for the Mariners at this point.

Felix Hernandez was already revealed as the opening day starting pitcher, meaning he will take the mound at Safeco Field against the Los Angeles Angels on April 6. Manager Lloyd McClendon talked about the decision, referencing comments he had made previously giving Herndez a 99.999 percent chance of being named the guy for opening day.

“It’s up to 100 percent. I had to give you guys something to write. If I’d said 100 percent (previously), you wouldn’t have anything to second-guess me on.”

There had been numerous Seattle Mariners rumors about how the rest of the starting rotation would shake out and with Roenis Elias out of the running, the projections become much easier. With the way the final spring training starts have been set up, it looks like Hernandez will be followed by James Paxton, Hisashi Iwakuma, J.A. Happ, and Taijuan Walker (in that order). Walker hasn’t allowed a run in 18 innings of spring work and Happ was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays to help pitch a lot of innings in 2015.

As previously reported on Inquisitr, highly-touted prospect Victor Sanchez passed away from injuries sustained in a boating accident in February. The tragic news has cast a somber mood on spring training for the team and has delayed a final announcement from manager Lloyd McClendon about how the final starting rotation will shake out. There will be additional Seattle Mariners rumors about it possibly changing right up until the confirmation is made, but it appears that everything has already been decided.

[Image Source: Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images]

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