Relief Pitcher Steve Delabar #35
28 years old; Experience: one year
Steve Delabar is another one of the young unproven arms in the Mariners bullpen, which lends credence to worry a bit. Delabar was drafted and brought up through the San Diego Padres before a fractured elbow virtually halted his career in 2009. Delabar spent 2010 rehabbing his elbow and working as a substitute teacher in his hometown of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The Seattle Mariners, already known for their wacky signings at this point, signed a minor league deal with Delabar in 2011.
Delabar quickly moved through the Mariners minor league ranks and made the big promotion in September last year. Delabar is a pretty standard hard throwing righty. He has a plus fastball which usually clocks in around 94 mph, but it is pretty much his only pitch. Because of this, is Delabar isn't able to locate it too well, hitters tend to get some pretty favorable counts. He had a pretty high walk rate last year for a reliever and this was only slightly offset by his average of about one strike out an inning.
This year Delabar is a situational reliever like he was last year. He remains with some upside as he his only 28 years old, but until he adds a few more pitches to his arsenal, Delabar will only appear sporadically for a few batters every now and then. On the plus side, players signed to minor league contracts come very cheaply, and Delabar is no different. If he can stay consistent and get out the big hitters he will be brought into punch out in later innings, Delabar can be a solid contributor to the Mariners for years to come.