Relief pitchers in the minors will have a tendency to drop down into categories like “The Watch List.”  In no small part because teams will try to use the best arms as starters as long as it seems possible.  Thus, the minor-league reliever will eventually face competition from not only his fellow bullpenners, but also from the starters who drop out of contention for the rotation.

That being said, being used in relief in the minors doesn’t necessarily exile a guy to the bullpen forever.  Sometimes it’s all part of the development arc.  And there are only so many rotation spots available.

Point being, there are a whole slew of potentially interesting arms who could someday pop up and be Danny Farquhar.  The competition is heavy, but teams are also usually more willing to give guys a shot in the bullpen (again, Farquhar), so we try to keep an eye on as many potentialities as possible.

So here’s the first pack of pen guys:

Aaron Brooks | 2014 age: 22 | RH

Full article at Mariner Brainstorm: here.